Aculturación alimentaria, estrés percibido y calidad de la dieta en universitarios de Lima

Introduction: University students face significant lifestyle changes that can affect their nutritional status. Food acculturation and stress are emerging psychosocial factors that influence food choices in urban contexts. Objective: To determine the relationship between food acculturation, perceived stress, and diet quality among university students in Lima. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, analytical, study was conducted. Ninety students from universities in Lima were surveyed using non-probability sampling. The relationship between the independent variables (perceived stress and food acculturation) and the dependent variable (diet quality) was evaluated. Validated instruments such as the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), the Food Acculturation Questionnaire, and the Mini-ECCA for diet quality were used. The analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: In the sample of 90 students, a significant negative correlation was found between perceived stress and diet quality (rho = -0.45; p < 0.01), and a weak negative correlation between food acculturation and diet quality (rho = -0.28; p < 0.05). No significant correlation was observed between stress and acculturation (rho = 0.15; p > 0.05). Discussion: The findings indicate that stress is associated with reduced self-regulation of eating habits, and acculturation involves a departure from the traditional Peruvian diet. Both variables are related to diet quality in different ways. Conclusion: There is a significant inverse relationship between perceived stress and food acculturation with diet quality among university students in Lima. It is suggested that health promotion interventions integrate psychosocial factors and the revaluation of local food identity.