Social Representations of Healthy Eating in Schoolchildren from Cartagena, Colombia

Ana Paola Mora Vergara^{1, 2}, Antonio López-Espinoza^{1, 2,} , Alma G Martínez Moreno^{1, 2}, Samantha Josefina Bernal-Gómez^{1, 2} and Tania Yadira Martínez Rodríguez^{1, 2}

¹Instituto de Investigaciones en Comportamiento Alimentario y Nutrición, IICAN

²Universidad de Guadalajara, México

Cite this paper:
Ana Paola Mora Vergara, Antonio López-Espinoza, Alma G Martínez Moreno, Samantha Josefina Bernal-Gómez and Tania Yadira Martínez Rodríguez. Social Representations of Healthy Eating in Schoolchildren from Cartagena, Colombia. Journal of Food and Nutrition Research. 2020; 8(10):568-574. doi: 10.12691/jfnr-8-10-5

Abstract

The social representations on healthy eating of the students of a public educational institution in Cartagena de Indias were analyzed. Methods: A mixed investigation was carried out, starting with the collection and analysis of qualitative information, for which twelve interviews and one focus group were applied, and a participant observation was carried out. From this inquiry, the economic access to healthy foods emerged as a relevant factor for healthy eating, which led to the development of a comparison between the food price behavior identified as healthy and unhealthy. The study was performed during 2018. Results: Concerning social representations, it was identified that healthy eating is expensive and difficult for the population to access, which was subsequently demonstrated by analyzing food prices. Other factors, such as taste, ease of preparation, healthy foods availability at school, were also identified as relevant to maintain healthy eating practices. Conclusion: The research identified factors such as access to food, pleasure, the low availability of healthy food at school, customs, and the loss of symbolic value of typical preparations, among others, related to food decision-making in the population. In this sense, it is necessary to highlight that the strategies for improving schoolchildren's nutritional status must include intersectoral actions, actively linking the community, the family, the school, the media, and students.

Keywords:
social representations healthy eating school feeding access to food food price

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