Nutritional and educational intervention to reduce malnutrition due to excess in university students

Abstract Objective: To assess the effect of a nutritional/educational intervention over malnutrition due to excess in university students. Materials & Methods: A quantitative study with a descriptive approach. Intervention was conducted through the implementation of educational strategies promoting healthy lifestyles, nutritional status of participants was monitored throughout the entire scholar cycle (16 weeks). Non-probabilistic sampling was used including 52 university students who willingly accepted to participate. Data was processed using descriptive statistics (frequency, category variable percentages, measures of central tendency, dispersion for numerical variables). Nutritional profiles of the participants were evaluated based on the normality of the data through the use Kolmogorv Smirnov test, averages, T tests for related samples and the Wilcoxon test to evaluate the intervention effects. Results: Weight average before intervention stage was 74.7 kg and 68.2 kg after intervention. Before intervention 42.31% presented malnutrition due to excess, after intervention 17.3% presented malnutrition due to excess which signifies a decrease of 25. 01 % was recorded (p value < 0.001) Conclusions: Educational intervention had an impact on the nutritional status of university students in relation with the percentage of malnutrition due to excess normal weight students ratio was increased.