Abstract

Author(s): Ekmeiro Salvador, Jesús1,2; Moreno Rojas, Rafael1; Cámara Martos, Fernando1

Introduction: constructivism is avant-garde within the current pedagogical currents, and particularly the SocioCultural Theory of Learning also called Socioconstructivism, seems to propose very interesting elements to innovate in the field of nutritional education since it states that the modification and / or acquisition of learning occurs basically through social interaction and handling signs of the culture where the ndividual is immersed; epistem that is understood as a premise powerfully focused on transferring it to the origins of eating behavior, whose social involvement is fundamental and finds its definition in the cultural.

Objectives: This research focuses on designing a nutritional education program with socioconstructivist elements and testing its foundations in generating individual, family and community changes towards a more adequate pattern of food consumption.

Method: a nutritional education program was designed, and its effectiveness was tested in the promotion of healthy eating practices measured in behavioral changes on the pattern of real food consumption, based on the learner and on the collective construction of knowledge through a socioconstructivist educational practice. 410 participants were incorporated into the educational program, which extended for 3 months with weekly sessions in demonstrative kitchens.

Results: the development of the program allowed to identify statistically significant changes in the increase in the consumption of vegetables, fruits, tubers, legumes and fish; while visible fats, synthetic flavors, sugary drinks and industrial sauces showed a marked decrease.

Conclusions: sociocultural theory proved to be an effective tool in nutritional education, to face and change qualitatively inadequate consumption patterns that could result in the collective conditioning of unfavorable health states.