Characterization of deficient intake of basic nourishing foods in fourth year medical school students “Dr. Witremundo Torrealba”, medical school. Maracay, Venezuela.

A non proper nourishing intake seems to be a problem in our university student population. Putting into effect the educational guide: “Three Basic groups of foods” elaborate by the “Nacional Nutrition Institute” (INN), in 1969, could be an adequate frame as to characterize, the food intake, in this case, concerning medical school students. The present survey studied a sample of 4th year medical school students, in order to investigate the structure of nourishing lack of “Basic groups of food”, and its distribution according to sex, meals, days of the week and most common dishes, through a discriptive, cross - sectional field study. 2541 meals were evaluated, which correspond to the weekly intake of 121 students during the academic year 2004-2005. The lack of at least one of the groups was assessed in 1540 meals, applyine a validate instrument. The survey allowed also the determination of a “memory biass” in the information collected daily: and the lacking consumed meal was categorized. Results show a clear shortage in the intake of vegetables and fruits mainly in breakfast and dinner. Minor omission of meal in lunch. Male students eat less vegetables and fruits at lunch and dinner while females do so at breakfast. No difference was appreciated within different days, whilst omission affects both sexes in the days toward the weekend. Must frecuent dishes consumed were: ham and cheese sándwiches and light beverages; arepa (corn bread elaborated with preecooked flour and roasted)with proteic stuffing and light beverages; hamburger and light beverage; pizza or pastry with filling and light beverages “pasta” with meat sauce and light beverages; yoghour tand cereal; lassagne; cachapa (soft tortilla roasted and stuffed with cheese); rice and chicken; hotdog and light beverages; soup and light beverages; beefsteak with rice and tea.