Knowledge, attitudes, and behavior concerning nutrition and physical activity in Mexican children.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the stages of behavior change and the knowledge, attitudes, and habits concerning nutrition and physical activity in Mexican children. METHODS: A survey was applied to 48 children from 10 years old to obtain data. Stages of behavior change were classified according to the transtheoretical model. RESULTS: For food habits, 31% were in precontemplation, 17% in contemplation, 10% in preparation, 40% in action, and 2% in maintenance. For physical activity, 12% were in precontemplation, 15% in contemplation, 29% in preparation, 42% in action, and 2% in maintenance. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to consider the stages of behavior change to plan strategies of educational models.