Ecuador: Communicating to Bridge the Education Gap in Nutrition

Abstract

After conducting a study in May of 2014 on nutrition communication in Ecuador and how it affects consumer behaviour, researchers identified a gap between the level of education obtained by students and the knowledge of nutrition provided to them. This article uses that study to assess whether or not the communication of nutrition information can be understood with the level of nutrition education available through cultural and educational means. Researchers first gathered data using quantitative methods in a survey administered to students at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. The data was supplemented through qualitative research in a questionnaire administered in a one-on-one interview format, followed by content analysis of food labels found in Ecuadorian grocery stores. Review of all of the data showed a number of problems with the level of education provided to students on the topic of nutrition and the communication of the information available to them. The inconsistency of food labeling in Ecuador also presented an issue. Researchers’ recommendations for the sustainability of healthy living include a standardized curriculum regarding nutrition starting in primary school in order to influence a sustainable level of nutrition education, as well as a standardized and mandatory format for food labelling.

Associations between Maternal Education and Child Nutrition and Oral Health in an Indigenous Population in Ecuador

“…Our findings also suggest that academic schooling alone is unlikely to improve oral health knowledge and oral health and nutrition practices and outcomes. Most schools do not include effective instruction on healthy diets, toothbrushing, and dental care [60]. To the contrary, children attending school are frequently exposed to many risks for poor nutrition and oral health, such as stores adjacent to the schools selling sugary drinks and junk food, mobile vendors coming to school sites to sell junk food, and daily school-sponsored snacks and beverages with high sugar content [61].…”

“…While Ecuador has focused on policies to promote nutrition, there is an unmet need for equal focus on oral health. The World Health Organization, FDI World Dental Federation, and the Lancet Commission on Oral Health have advocated a global life-course approach to improving oral health, including oral health education and dental clinical services incorporated into primary health care as part of Universal Health Care from prenatal care through well-child/immunization programs and adult healthcare, utilizing a broader primary health care network including nurses and community health workers, and incorporating toothbrushing programs into childcare and schools [8,[60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68]. Experts also emphasize that engaging the local community in the design and implementation of services, as well as dismantling structural racism, are critical to ensure accessibility, acceptability, and effectiveness [63].…”