Introduction

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a major public health problem, it is one of the most frequent chronic diseases and causes a decrease in quality of life, and therefore, it is necessary to know the major strategies of nutrition and physical activity for prevention since the early stages of life.

Objective

To know the strategies of nutrition and physical activity performed by mothers to prevent Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in school children.

Materials and methods

Pilot test of a descriptive study with a simple random sampling in 30 mothers with school children carried out in an elementary school located in the community of Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo León, Mexico. The instrument "Scale of Parental Strategies for Nutrition and Physical Activity" of 26 items was applied. Results: It was found that the highest measure was of Reinforcement with a 𝑥 of 64.00 (SE =18.84) which is aimed to praising children when they perform healthy behaviors and a lower Supervision with 51.33 (SE =20.80) defined as the degree in which parents supervise their children’s healthy behaviors.

Conclusion

Children, when exercising healthy behaviors, mothers praise them and have a greater control over them in favor of doing the most desirable in their physical activity and if they, in contrast, perform unhealthy behaviors regarding to their nutrition will be limited, supervised and sanctioned such conducts.

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