RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To find certain personal and social factors relating to the attitudes to food and the nutritional habits of young people. DESIGN: Observational, crossover study with randomised distribution. SETTING: Txantrea, a quarter of Pamplona with 20,578 inhabitants and with 1739 14 to 19-year olds in school. PARTICIPANTS: Sample of 465 people between 14 and 19, randomised and stratified for age. RESULTS: Under the life-style heading, 69% (64.3-73) tried to eat a varied diet; 56% (51.3-60.5) took part in the choice of family meals; and 52% (47, 3-56.3) ate snacks. On personal questions, 67% (62.3-71.1) said they had quite a lot or a lot of interest in diet; 50% (45.3-54.5) said they were quite concerned or very concerned about their diet; 22% (18.3-25.9) thought themselves obese or slightly obese, whereas 8% (5.7-10.9) were in fact obese. 71% (66.7-74.9) were satisfied with their physique. 28% (24.1-32.2) had been on a diet. 81% (76.7-84.6) thought that young people gave a lot or quite a lot of importance to their physique. 78% (73.9-81.4) thought that the communication media had a lot or quite a lot of influence on the life-styles of young people. On education and information, 33% (28.7-37.3) thought they were well-informed on dietary questions, basically by the family. 38% (33.5-42.3) thought they were good or very good at cooking. 58% (53.3-62.3) said they were available for training in nutrition. The people with more interest in nutritional questions were more concerned and better informed. Being female was associated with: more interest and concern, having followed a diet, the view that the media had a big influence, feeling pressured by the family to eat more and availability for education. Being male was associated with: satisfaction with their physique, and thinking they were very thin, thin or balanced. CONCLUSIONS: Critical attitudes to the influence of the media were seen. There was a lot of concern about, and interest, in, nutrition. There was also quite a lot of not very healthy behaviour.
