Knowledge and dietary habits about omega 3 and 6 in university students from Ecuador and Peru, during COVID-19; [Conocimientos y Hábitos alimentarios sobre omega 3 y 6 en universitarios de Ecuador y Perú, en época de COVID-19]

Abstract

Introduction: Confinement has adverse psycho-social as well as dietary repercussions. During the pandemic there was a higher consumption of processed and canned foods, increasing the consumption of omega 6 (ω-6) and probably decreasing the consumption of omega 3 (ω-3). Objective: To determine the relationship between knowledge and dietary habits about omega 3 and 6 in university students from Ecuador and Peru during COVID-19. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study, carried out in 134 Ecuadorian and 215 Peruvian students. Data were obtained from a virtual questionnaire with questions on knowledge and dietary habits about ω-3 and ω-6. Spearman's Rho, Mann Whitney U and Kruskall Wallis statistical tests were performed. Results: A correlation coefficient of knowledge and eating habits on ω-3 and ω-6, Rho=0.146 (p=0.092) and Rho=0.081 (p=0.235) was obtained for the samples from Ecuador and Peru, respectively. In Ecuadorian students, there were differences in the levels of knowledge about ω-3 and ω-6, both in males and females (p=0.007). In both countries there are different levels of knowledge in the different specialties of the study (p=0.004). Conclusion: There is no correlation between knowledge and eating habits about ω-3 and ω-6 in university students of Health Sciences in both countries. Students from Ecuador present insufficient knowledge and inadequate dietary habits about ω-3 and ω-6, more than Peru. © 2022 Sociedad espanola de dietetica. All rights reserved.