Effect of the "ESNUT" Nutritional Stabilization Program on food consumption, BMI, body composition and physical activity in Mexican university students

Introduction: According to the 2018 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT), overweight/obesity was 38.4% in the population between 10-24 years of age in Mexico, which bolsters chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCD). In university students, inadequate diet and physical activity contribute to this. Objective: To evaluate the effect of the Nutritional Stabilization Program "ESNUT" on body composition, Body Mass Index, energy and macronutrient intakes and on the level of physical activity in new university students. Methods: Design. Quasi-experimental with follow-up carried out from August 2017 to May 2018 in a University Health Center (CSU). Population. Students of both sexes, from 17 to 21 years old, non-pregnant, lactation, high-performance sports, pathology or health condition impacting their nutritional status, who signed the informed consent. The experimental (EG, n=23) and control (CG, n=35) groups were made up of randomized and single-blind allocation. Variables Independent: ESNUT Program. Dependent: Kilocalories (Kcal) and macronutrients, fat mass (%FM), musculoskeletal mass (% MM), body mass index (BMI) and physical activity level (PAL). Instruments: Inbody 230 Bioimpedance Meter; SECA 274 digital stadiometer; PAL survey; 24-hour reminder (R24) and plastic food replicas. Analysis. Descriptive statistics and tests: Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon U ranges, ANOVA, student's t and Pearson's r, with significance p=0.05. Results: 50% GE suffered from OW/OB. The adequacy of energy and micronutrients, intake improved,% FM was reduced,% MM and PAL increased. Discussion: OW/OB and low weight were reduced associated with improvements in diet and PAL, similarly to effective educational-nutritional interventions in the prevention of malnutrition and, consequently, of CNCD in Latin American university students. Conclusions: The "ESNUT" program had an improvement effect on intake, body composition and PAL. Healthy lifestyles should be promoted in the university setting.