Summary


Background: Adolescence is a decisive period during human life due to the multiple physiological and psychological changes that take place. These changes will condition both nutritional requirements and eating/physical activity behaviour. It has been demonstrated that these factors influence health status during adult life.

Objective: To evaluate the health and nutritional status of a representative population of Spanish adolescents for three specific health problems: obesity, anorexia nervosa/bulimia, dislipidemia.

Methodology: The following magnitudes will be studied: (1) dietary intake, food habits and nutrition knowledge; (2) daily physical activity and personal approach (3) physical condition; (4) body measurements and composition; (5) plasma lipid and metabolic profile, blood counts; (6) plasma lipids genotipic profile; (7) immune function profile related to nutritional status; (8) psychological profile.

Conclusion: This project includes the co-ordinated activity of five Spanish centres of five different cities (Granada, Madrid, Murcia, Santander, Zaragoza). Each centre is specialised in a specific area and will be responsible for the corresponding part of the study. From the data obtained, we will elaborate a specific intervention program in order to neutralise the risk for nutritional related problems in adolescence. By this, we will contribute to improve the health status of the Spanish population in the new millennium.