Dietary Guidance Guide for Families of Tenth-Grade Students

Abstract

Introduction: Healthy eating is a determining factor in the physical, cognitive, and emotional development of students, directly influencing their academic performance. This research aims to implement a guide for families to guide them on proper nutrition for tenth-grade students at the "Las Vegas" Educational Unit, located in the Shushufindi canton, Sucumbíos province. It is based on the identification of a specific problem: poor academic performance associated with poor nutrition, influenced by a lack of family awareness, economic limitations, inadequate food culture, and poor connection between school and home. Materials and methods: The study was conducted with a sample of 17 tenth-grade students, between 14 and 15 years old, and their respective families. The research adopts a mixed approach, combining quantitative and qualitative tools such as surveys administered to parents and students, and interviews with teachers. The inductive-deductive and analytical-systematic methods were used, under the modalities of field and descriptive research. Results: The proposal focuses on a family-pedagogical support program, which includes workshops, talks, printed materials, and audiovisual resources, aimed at promoting healthy eating habits at home. Discussion: Strengthening the bond between family and school is expected to have a positive impact on the development of nutritional habits, on students' overall health, and on their academic performance. Conclusions: The results will validate the importance of family support as a key strategy for effective nutritional education, projecting the possibility of replicating this model in other school settings with similar challenges.