ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: nutritional interventions (IN) in schoolchildren allow for health promotion, physical activity, and nutrition actions for the prevention of malnutrition. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the effect of an IN on the nutrient content in school snacks (ER) in public education schools in Mexico. METHODS: descriptive, longitudinal, and prospective study with a sample of 812 children were classified into intervention group (IG) and control group (GC). Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference) were made to identify nutritional status (EN); to evaluate the ER, the food and beverages that the children took from home to consume during the break were recorded on a checklist; the IN was performed in the GI for 12 weeks with a 6-week reinforcement and the final evaluation was carried out that included EN and SP in both groups. RESULTS: a 1.4 % increase in overweight (SP) and obesity (OB) was observed in the GI, while in the GC it increased 5.5 %. In the CR, the GC showed a higher consumption of calories, carbohydrates, and sugars. In the intragroup analysis, the GI decreased carbohydrates, sugars. This intervention showed a small effect on the decrease of calories, carbohydrates and polyunsaturated acids of the GI compared to the GC. CONCLUSION: IN had a positive effect on the decrease in the energy and carbohydrate content of school snacks and therefore a slower trend in the prevalence of SP and OB in the GI compared to the GC.
