Objectives. To assess the nutritional status, physical activity, and eating habits of schoolchildren in Cercado de Lima (Lima district). Materials and methods. Cross-sectional descriptive study. The sample included schoolchildren from first to fourth grade in four public elementary schools located in Cercado de Lima. The study variables were nutritional status, hemoglobin dose, physical activity, and eating habits. The percentages of the qualitative variables and central tendency measures for quantitative ones were calculated. The t-test and chi-squared test were applied to analyze differences between both genders. Results. Of 824 schoolchildren included in the study, 24% were obese, 22% were overweight, 5% had short stature, and 11.9% had anemia; in all instances, there were no substantial gender differences. More than 40% of schoolchildren would eat crackers and drink packaged juice an...

Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in schoolchildren is increasing in Peru. Given the increased use of digital media, there is potential to develop effective digital health interventions to promote healthy eating practices at schools. This study investigates the needs of schoolchildren in relation to healthy eating and the potential role of digital media to inform the design of game-based nutritional interventions. Objective: This study aims to explore schoolchildren's knowledge about healthy eating and use of and preferences for digital media to inform the future development of a serious game to promote healthy eating. Methods: A survey was conducted in 17 schools in metropolitan Lima, Peru. The information was collected virtually with specific questions for the schoolchild and their caregiver during October 2021 and November 2021 and following the COVID-19 public heal...

Objectives. Evaluate and compare the macronutrient distribution of the food baskets delivered by Peruvian municipalities during the COVID-19 pandemic according to the geographic domain and assigned budget level. Materials and methods. Secondary analysis of the database “Consultation of Acquisition and distribution of basic necessities of the basic family basket” of the General Comptroller of the Republic. Stratified probability sampling was carried out. The distribution of caloric intake was calculated according to macronutrients and compared with the Acceptable Intervals of Macronutrient Distribution (IADM) of the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP) and the National Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI). Results. At the national level, the median caloric intake of proteins was 7.7%; carbohydrates 62.5%; and fats 28.1%. The proportion of municipalities with a p...