Search

Introduction: Considering that nutrition plays a prominent role in the health of the elderly, oral health and the associated quality of life are very important for a healthy diet. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among the elderly in Amirkola. Materials & Methods: This study was part of the second phase of the Amirkola elderly cohort study conducted on750 older people who underwent a special oral and dental examination in 2016-2020 using the Oral Health Questionnaire. The frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption was assessed with the Semi- Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQFFQ), OHRQoL was assessed with the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), and information on age, sex, history of systemic diseases, and the number of teeth was extracted from the full data set completed by specialists for each patient. Data were analyzed with SPSS 20 using the chi-square statistical test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient. A value of p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Non-smokers and people with a higher level of education had a better OHRQoL (P=0.022 and P=0.036, respectively). There was no significant relationship between the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption and OHRQoL, but a significant relationship was found between the frequency of fresh herb consumption and OHRQoL (p=0.005). In men, there was a significant relationship between the number of teeth and frequency of vegetable consumption as well as between OHRQoL and frequency of fresh herb consumption in men (P=0.048, r=0.096). In women, a significant relationship was observed between the frequency of total vegetable consumption and OHRQoL (p=0.021, r=0.129). Conclusion: According to the results of the present study,it was found that the amount of fruit and vegetable consumption has no effect on improving the OHRQoL among the elderly of Amirkola city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to estimate the association between life habits and adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables (F&V) after four years of follow-up among elderly of a cohort in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. This is a longitudinal population-based study, the sample being composed of individuals 60 years of age or older living in the urban area of the city of Florianópolis- SC. The baseline study took place in 2009-2010 and the second wave in 2013-2014. Adequate consumption was assessed by considering the frequency of ingestion of F&V at least five times a day at least five times a week. Life habits (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and Internet use) and a biological variable (nutritional status) were associated. Multilevel logistic regression was used for the statistical analysis. There was a 5.23% increase in F&V consumption between evaluations. In the adjusted final models, internet use was associated with a greater chance of regular consumption of F&V (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.09 - 2.01), while overweight was associated with a lower chance of outcome (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.61 - 0.95). In conclusion, using the internet has proven to contribute significantly to a more adequate diet in F&V, as well as being overweight has shown to be a risk factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To assess a healthy retail intervention in Tribal convenience stores in Oklahoma. Methods. We adapted healthy retail strategies to the context of 8 Tribally owned stores. We assessed individual- and store-level outcomes in a cluster-controlled intervention trial (April 2016–June 2017). We measured fruit and vegetable intake, store environment perceptions, and purchases before and after the intervention among a cohort of 1637 Native American shoppers. We used mixed-effects linear regression to estimate pre- to postintervention changes in and between groups. Results. We followed 74% of participants (n = 1204) 9 to 12 months. Intervention and control participants perceived healthier stores after intervention. Higher shopping frequency was related to purchases of fruits, vegetables, and healthy items. Conclusions. Intervention exposure was associated with healthy purchasing but not fruit and vegetable intake. Research is needed to further assess impacts of environmental interventions on intake. Public Health Implications. As the first healthy retail intervention in Tribally owned stores, our results contribute evidence for environmental and policy interventions to address obesity in Tribal Nations. Multicomponent interventions, led by Tribal leaders from diverse sectors, are needed to create healthy environments and sustainable improvements in Native American health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on the effects of elevated fruit and vegetable intake on serum bone turnover markers, and it mentions plasma carotenoid levels, bone resorption marker C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen, and lower bone formation marker alkaline phosphatase.

Objective: To examine the associations of vegetable and/or fruit consumption with metabolic syndrome (MetS).Design: Meta-analysis of observational studies.Setting: The electronic databases of PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE were searched up to September 2017 for observational studies concerning the associations of vegetable and/or fruit consumption with MetS. The pooled relative risk (RR) of MetS for the highest v. the lowest category of vegetable and/or fruit consumption, as well as their corresponding 95 % CI, were calculated.Results: A total of twenty-six observational studies (twenty cross-sectional, one case-control and five cohort studies) were included in the meta-analysis. Specifically, sixteen studies were related to vegetable consumption and the overall multivariable-adjusted RR evidenced a negative association between vegetable consumption and MetS (RR=0·89, 95 % CI 0·85, 0·93; P<0·001). For fruit consumption, sixteen studies were included and the overall multivariable-adjusted RR demonstrated that fruit consumption was inversely associated with MetS (RR=0·81, 95 % CI 0·75, 0·88; P<0·001). For vegetable and fruit consumption, eight studies were included; the overall multivariable-adjusted RR showed that vegetable and fruit consumption was also negatively associated with MetS (RR=0·75, 95 % CI 0·63, 0·90; P=0·002).Conclusions: The existing evidence suggests that vegetable and/or fruit consumption is negatively associated with MetS. More well-designed prospective cohort studies are needed to elaborate the concerned issues further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the feasibility, reliability and validity of reflection spectroscopy (RS) to assess skin carotenoids in a racially diverse sample.Design: Study 1 was a cross-sectional study of corner store customers (n 479) who completed the National Cancer Institute Fruit and Vegetable Screener as well as RS measures. Feasibility was assessed by examining the time it took to complete three RS measures, reliability was assessed by examining the variation between three RS measures, and validity was examined by correlation with self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption. In Study 2, validity was assessed in a smaller sample (n 30) by examining associations between RS measures and dietary carotenoids, fruits and vegetables as calculated from a validated FFQ and plasma carotenoids.Setting: Eastern North Carolina, USA.Results: It took on average 94·0 s to complete three RS readings per person. The average variation between three readings for each participant was 6·8 %. In Study 2, in models adjusted for age, race and sex, there were statistically significant associations between RS measures and (i) FFQ-estimated carotenoid intake (P<0·0001); (ii) FFQ-estimated fruit and vegetable consumption (P<0·010); and (iii) plasma carotenoids (P<0·0001).Conclusions: RS is a potentially improved method to approximate fruit and vegetable consumption among diverse participants. RS is portable and easy to use in field-based public health nutrition settings. More research is needed to investigate validity and sensitivity in diverse populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate socio-economic differences in changes in fruit and vegetable intake between 2004 and 2011 and explore the mediating role of financial barriers in this change.Design: Respondents completed a self-reported questionnaire in 2004 and 2011, including questions on fruit and vegetable intake (frequency per week), indicators of socio-economic position (education, income) and perceived financial barriers (fruits/vegetables are expensive, financial distress). Associations were analysed using ordinal logistic regression. The mediating role of financial barriers in the association between socio-economic position and change in fruit and vegetable intake was studied with the Baron and Kenny approach.Setting: Longitudinal GLOBE study.Subjects: A total of 2978 Dutch adults aged 25-75 years.Results: Respondents with the lowest income in 2004 were more likely to report a decrease in intake of cooked vegetables (P-trend<0·001) and raw vegetables (P-trend<0·001) between 2004 and 2011, compared with those with the highest income level. Respondents with the lowest education level in 2004 were more likely to report a decrease in intake of fruits (P-trend=0·021), cooked vegetables (P-trend=0·033), raw vegetables (P-trend<0·001) and fruit juice (P-trend=0·027) between 2004 and 2011, compared with those with the highest education level. Financial barriers partially mediated the association between income and education and the decrease in fruit and cooked vegetable intake between 2004 and 2011.Conclusions: These results show a widening of relative income and educational differences in fruit and vegetable intake between 2004 and 2011. Financial barriers explained a small part of this widening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous research indicates that low-income individuals often struggle to consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables (F&V). LINK Up Illinois is a farmers' market incentive programme that aims to increase F&V consumption among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients by improving access to and affordability of locally grown foods. The present research aimed to identify barriers to F&V consumption that exist among users of the LINK Up Illinois programme.Design: Cross-sectional.Setting: Farmers' markets in Chicago, Springfield, Northbrook, Woodstock, Aurora and Urbana, IL.Subjects: In 2016, a volunteer sample of 140 LINK Up Illinois users (mean age 42·5 years; 81·7 % female; 28·7 % African American; 44·0 % obese) completed a survey at participating farmers' markets across the state. Information on demographics, food shopping behaviours, programme satisfaction, barriers to F&V consumption and frequency of F&V consumption was collected and examined.Results: Approximately 23 % of survey participants reported consuming F&V ≥3 times/d. The barriers to F&V consumption most often reported by survey participants were the cost of F&V (29·5 %), spoilage (18·6 %), knowing how to cook F&V (8·7 %) and not thinking about F&V when hungry (8·6 %). Results from multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models suggested that reporting one or more barriers was associated with reduced odds of consuming vegetables ≥3 times/d, but not fruits.Conclusions: Cost, spoilage and knowledge of cooking are key barriers to F&V consumption that exist among LINK Up Illinois users. Strategies are needed to mitigate these barriers and increase F&V consumption in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of two different implementation forms of the EU School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS).Design: A quasi-experimental design was applied including a thrice as well as a twice weekly intervention group. Repeated 24 h dietary recalls were used to measure children's fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake. Effects were analysed on days with and without F&V deliveries using hierarchical linear regression models.Setting: Twelve primary schools in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.Subjects: Third and fourth graders (n 664).Results: Average daily F&V intake at pre-intervention was 0·84 frequencies in the thrice weekly intervention group, 0·90 frequencies in the twice weekly intervention group and 1·25 frequencies in the control group. Providing children thrice weekly with F&V increased children's F&V intake on average by 0·96 (P<0·001) frequencies/d. The effects were higher on days with (1·07; P<0·001) than on days without (0·75; P<0·001) F&V deliveries. Distributing F&V twice weekly resulted in an increase of 0·75 (P<0·001) frequencies/d on average, again with higher effects on days with (1·30; P<0·001) than without (0·48; P<0·003) F&V deliveries. Subgroup analysis revealed some indications for differential effectiveness only in the twice weekly intervention group.Conclusions: The SFVS with thrice or twice weekly deliveries of F&V led to a significant increase in children's F&V intake on days with and without deliveries. The latter might provide an indication of positive long-term effects of the scheme. The scheme shows equal efficiency for almost all subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the influence of a mobile produce market (MPM) on fruit and vegetable access.Design: Novel application of a structured assessment (five dimensions of access framework) to examine fruit and vegetable access through self-administered surveys on shopping behaviours, and perceptions and experiences of shopping at the MPM.Setting: Low-income neighbourhoods with limited access to fruits and vegetables.Subjects: Older (≥60 years) and younger (18-59·9 years) shoppers.Results: Participants were more likely to be women and non-White, one-third lived alone and nearly half were older adults. Compared with younger, older participants had different shopping behaviours: tended to purchase food for one person (P < 0·001), be long-term shoppers (P=0·002) and use electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards (P=0·012). Older adults were more likely to like the market location (P=0·03), while younger adults were more likely to want changes in location (P=0·04), more activities (P=0·04), taste sampling (P=0·05) and nutritional counselling (P=0·01). The MPM captured all dimensions of access: availability, indicated by satisfaction with the produce variety for nearly one-third of all participants; accessibility, indicated by participants travelling <1 mile (<1·6 km; 72·2 %) and appreciation of location (72·7 %); affordability, indicated by satisfaction with price (47·6 %); acceptability, indicated by appreciation of produce quality (46·2 %); and accommodation, indicated by satisfaction with safety of location (30·1 %) and high EBT use among older adults (41·8 %).Conclusions: MPM may influence fruit and vegetable access in low-income urban neighbourhoods by facilitating the five dimensions of access and may especially benefit older adults and individuals living alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Young adults frequently engage in sub-optimal dietary behaviours, such as inadequate intakes of fruits and vegetables and excessive consumption of take-out meals. Theory-based interventions are suggested to promote dietary change. The transtheoretical model is an example that stages an individual’s readiness to change behaviours as precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance, and includes a series of processes that help people move between stages. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether self-reported usual dietary intakes of fruits and vegetables and take-out foods differ by reported stage-of-change.Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional data from 250 overweight young adults, aged 18-35 years, who enrolled in a lifestyle intervention to prevent weight gain are analysed. Participant’s stage-of-change for increasing fruit and vegetable intakes and reducing take-out foods is determined using staging algorithms. This is compared with self-reported dietary intakes over the past month using a food frequency questionnaire. Differences in intakes and variety by stage-of-change are compared for fruits, vegetables and take-out foods.Findings Take-out foods differed between stages (p < 0.0001), with lower weekly intakes in action (309 g) and maintenance (316 g) compared with preparation (573 g). Daily fruit intakes and variety scores varied by stage-of-change (p < 0.0001), being highest for action and maintenance (261 g and 263 g, respectively, and variety scores of 1 and 2) compared with precontemplation, contemplation and preparation (all = 100 g and 0 for variety). Daily vegetable consumption and variety scores differed by stage (p = 0.009 and p = 0.025, respectively) being highest for action/maintenance (204 g and 2 for variety) versus precontemplation and preparation (<110 g daily and Variety 1).Practical implications The finding of no differences in intakes between precontemplation, contemplation or preparation stages implies that the adoption of the dietary behaviours is not a continuum but a move from pre-action to actioning the target intakes. This means that for planning health promotion and dietary counselling, assigning people to the three different pre-action stages may be unnecessary.Originality/value This study is the first to examine the congruence of self-reported readiness to change behaviour with dietary intakes of take-out foods as well as variety of fruit and vegetables in overweight young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify individual and contextual socio-economic factors associated with an increase in fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption over a 12-year period and evaluate if some socio-economic factors were differentially associated with the change in consumption of some types of F&V.Design: Associations between increased F&V consumption and socio-economic factors were studied with multivariate logistic regression.Setting: E3N, a French prospective cohort study of 98 995 women.Subjects: E3N participants (n 58 193) with information on diet in 1993 and 2005, and numerous individual and contextual socio-economic factors available.Results: Associations between some individual socio-economic factors and changes in F&V consumption were observed. For instance, women who lived in a large household (>3 children v. no child) had higher probability of increasing their vegetable consumption (OR=1·33; 95 % CI 1·24, 1·42). This association was driven by higher consumption of courgette and raw cucumber. Living with a partner was associated with higher odds of increasing consumption of fruits (OR=1·07; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·13) such as pear, peach and grape.Conclusions: Certain individual socio-economic factors, but none of the contextual socio-economic factors examined, were associated with an increase in F&V consumption. Factors associated with an increase in total F&V consumption were not necessarily associated with an increase in fruit or vegetable consumption separately, or with an increase in each subtype of fruit or vegetable. Magnitudes of the different associations observed also differed when F&V were considered together, separately or by subtype. Increases in F&V consumption were mostly observed in women with high socio-economic position. To develop effective nutritional interventions and policies that take the socio-economic environment of individuals into account, we recommend future research to further focus on (i) pathways through which population characteristics might influence changes in F&V consumption and (ii) existing interactions between individual and contextual socio-economic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In this study, we examined the role of socio-demographic (race/ethnicity, sex, grade, nativity, literacy, body mass index) and individual-level (normative beliefs, knowledge, perceived barriers, food preference, self-efficacy) factors on US adolescent fruit and vegetable consumption. Methods: We conducted hierarchical multiple regression analysis to determine the influence of factors on adolescent fruit and vegetable consumption in a nationally representative sample of 795 adolescents from the National Cancer Institute's 2014 Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health and Eating (FLASHE) study. Results: Socio-demographic variables explained little variance (1.7%) whereas individual-level factors explained approximately 29% of the variance in adolescent fruit and vegetable consumption. Statistically significant (p < .001) predictors of adolescent fruit and vegetable consumption were food preference (β = .253), self-efficacy (β = .184), perceived barriers (β = -.139) and normative beliefs (β = .134). After controlling for sex, food preference and normative beliefs were stronger predictors of male and perceived barriers was a stronger predictor of female, adolescent fruit and vegetable consumption. Conclusions: Understanding the predictive strength and sex-specific differences of intrapersonal variables on male and female adolescent fruit and vegetable consumption informs health promotion efforts to increase intake to recommended amounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike fast and restaurant food, diet rich in fibre is known to contribute significantly to health. The aim of our study was to assess eating habits such as consumption of fibre-rich, fast, and restaurant food of the general population in Croatia. For this purpose we used a validated survey designed by the Polytechnic Institute Viseu in Portugal, which includes questions about demographics, good eating habits related to the consumption of the main sources of dietary fibre (fruit, vegetables, and whole grains), and unhealthy eating habits related to the consumption of fast food and restaurant meals. Between October 2014 and March 2015 we received answers from 2,536 respondents aged between 18-70 years, of whom 67.4 % were women and 32.6 % were men. Most respondents reported consuming one serving of vegetables and one piece of fruit a day, and whole grains every other day. Women and urban residents reported consuming larger amounts of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains than men (p<0.001). Men, in turn, reported eating out and eating fast food more often than women (p<0.001). Eating out highly correlated with eating fast food, which translates to lower consumption of dietary fibre (p<0.001). Higher education correlated positively with the consumption of fibre-rich food, but it also correlated positively with the consumption of fast and restaurant food (p<0.001). While eating fast food is not the predominant dietary practice in Croatia, over 50 % of respondents have reported eating fast food at least once a week. Our data also indicate that consumption of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains falls below the national and international dietary recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Limited research is available on whether participation in healthy food incentive programmes is associated with higher fruit and vegetable intake. The objective of the present study was to determine fruit and vegetable intake among participants in the Produce Plus Program, a farmers' market-based healthy food incentive programme in Washington, DC, and identify demographic and behavioural factors associated with higher fruit and vegetable intake.Design: Using a cross-sectional survey, programme participants were interviewed at markets across DC between June and September 2015. Questions included the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) fruit and vegetable module. Fruit and vegetable intake among 2013 DC BRFSS participants reporting annual household incomes of ≤$US 35 000 was calculated for context.Setting: Washington, DC, USA.Subjects: Participants (n 288) in the Produce Plus Program.Results: On average, participants reported consuming both fruits (interquartile range: 1·0-3·0) and vegetables (interquartile range: 1·3-3·5) two times/d. Participants who reported eating home-cooked meals ≥3 times/week also reported higher median fruit (2·0 v. 0·8) and vegetable (2·3 v. 1·3) intake compared with those eating home-cooked meals less frequently. No statistically significant differences in reported median fruit or vegetable intake were observed over the course of the farmers' market (June v. August/September) season.Conclusions: Produce Plus Program participants reported higher median fruit and vegetable intake compared with DC BRFSS respondents with similar incomes, but still below recommended levels. More frequent home-cooked meals were associated with higher fruit and vegetable intake. Thus, efforts to increase home cooking may represent an opportunity to increase fruit and vegetable intake among healthy food incentive participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: US veterans (hereafter, 'veterans') are at risk for being overweight or obese and associated unhealthy behaviours, including poor diet; although limited studies have examined the underlying factors associated with such outcomes. As such, the present study evaluated the association between food insecurity and dietary practices among veterans.Design: A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the California Health Interview Survey (2009, 2011/2012) was conducted. Survey weights were applied to identify univariate means, population estimates and weighted percentages. Bivariate analyses followed by survey-weighted negative binomial regression were used to model the association between food insecurity and dietary practices of fruit, vegetable, fast food and soda intakes.Setting: California Health Interview Survey 2009-2011/2012.Subjects: The present study included a total of 11 011 veterans from California.Results: Nearly 5 % of the studied veteran population reported living in poverty with food insecurity. Compared with those at or above the poverty level and those in poverty but food secure, the mean intakes of fruits and vegetables were lower, while the mean intakes of soda and fast foods (P for trend <0·05) were higher among veterans living in poverty with food insecurity. Food insecurity was associated with 24 and 142 % higher average consumption of fast foods and soda, respectively, and 24 % lower fruit intake.Conclusions: Food insecurity remains a burden among veterans and is associated with unhealthy dietary practices. Targeted interventions to improve diet quality are imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: One challenge to healthy nutrition, especially among low-income individuals, is access to and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. To address this problem, Veggie Rx, a healthy food incentive programme, was established within a community clinic to increase access to fresh produce for low-income patients diagnosed with obesity, hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes. The current research aimed to evaluate Veggie Rx programme effectiveness.Design: A retrospective pre/post design using medical records and programme data was used to evaluate the programme. The study was approved by the University of Albany Institutional Review Board and the Patient Interest Committee of a community clinic.Setting: The study was conducted in a low-income, urban neighbourhood in upstate New York.Subjects: Medical record data and Veggie Rx programme data were analysed for fifty-four eligible participants. An equal-sized control group of patients who were not programme participants were matched on age, ethnicity and co-morbidity status.Results: A statistically significant difference in mean BMI change (P=0·02) between the intervention and the control group was calculated. The intervention group had a mean decrease in BMI of 0·74 kg/m2.Conclusions: Greater improvement in BMI was found among Veggie Rx programme participants. This information will guide programme changes and inform the field on the effectiveness of healthy food incentive programmes for improving health outcomes for low-income populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine intakes and variety of fruit and vegetables consumed by Australian young adults, also assessing differences by meal occasion and sociodemographic characteristics.Design: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional 24 h recall data collected through the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. Crude means and proportions consuming fruits and vegetables were calculated. Pearson χ 2 tests, Kruskal-Wallis analyses and linear regression models were used to assess differences in mean intakes by age, BMI and sociodemographic variables. The variety eaten was determined based on the number of fruit and vegetable subgroups consumed.Setting: Representative sample of metropolitan and rural areas across Australia.Subjects: Respondents aged 18-34 years were included (n 2397).Results: Mean daily intake of fruit (128 g/0·9 servings) and vegetables (205 g/2·7 servings) was lower than the minimum recommended intake set at 2 and 5 servings, respectively. Age was positively associated with fruit and vegetable intake (P=0·002, P<0·001), with 18-24-year-olds reporting the poorest vegetable variety compared with 25-29- and 30-34-year-olds (P=0·002). When controlling for total energy, males consumed less vegetables than females (P=0·002). A large proportion of the 15 % of respondents who consumed adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables on the day prior to the survey reported intake across all meal occasions (P<0·001).Conclusions: Fruit and vegetable intake is suboptimal among Australian young adults. An age-appropriate campaign is recommended to target increased consumption, particularly for those aged 18-24 years, with opportunity to promote increased variety and consumption across the day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consumption of fruits and vegetables for the prevention of diseases has long been known because their phytochemicals and antioxidant nutrients provide protective benefits and defensive roles against oxidative damages that lead to human diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and others. This study is geared at observing ratings habits of college students enrolled at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). The CSULA students were chosen due to the fact that their ethic compositions were similar to those of the Greater Los Angeles Areas. The objective was to observe fruit and vegetable intake by male and female college students in association with their body max index (BMI). The hypothesis was that there would be an inverse relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and the BMI. The study consisted of one hundred college males and females. Data was obtained from three-day diet records and an additional 24-hour food intake record with a one-day activity journal submitted by the students as a required assignment for nutritional science courses. There was a significant negative correlation between BMI and fruit and vegetable intake among the total group. This negative correlation between the two variables was also found in the female subjects, although not statistically significant. There was no correlation found in the male group due to a small sample size. An independent T-test revealed that the average fruit and vegetable intake was higher for females in comparison to the males (P<0.01). Both genders consumed less than five servings per day as recommended. Whereas the average BMI of males were higher than those of the females, no statistical significances were found between genders. The average consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as mean BMI was analyzed among the different ethnic groups. As a group the Asians had a significantly lower mean BMI and higher average intake of fruits and vegetables compared to subjects of all other ethnicities. Further nutrition education to promote fruit and vegetable consumption is recommended to protect the general health of college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the evidence of the impact of new food store (supermarket/grocery store) interventions on selected health-related outcomes. Design: A systematic review following the Effective Public Health Practice Project guidelines. All quantitative studies were assessed for their methodological quality. Results were synthesized narratively. Setting: Eight electronic databases - MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, ProQuest Public Health, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library - were searched to identify relevant records. Subjects: Peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles on new grocery store/supermarket interventions with adult study populations, published in the English language after 1995. Results: Eleven records representing seven new grocery store interventions were identified. Six were assessed having 'weak' methodological quality, one as 'moderate' and two as 'strong'. All studies reported fruit and vegetable consumption but results were not consistent, some studies reporting significantly more and others no increase in consumption. BMI and self-rated health did not show significant improvements. Perceptions of food access, neighbourhood satisfaction and psychological health showed significant improvements. Conclusions: Improved food access through establishment of a full-service food retailer, by itself, does not show strong evidence towards enhancing health-related outcomes over short durations. Presently the field is developing and the complex linking pathways/mechanisms are yet to be elucidated. Further evidence, in the form of high-quality research in different communities with longer follow-up periods, is needed to inform policy decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To develop and test the effectiveness of a mobile-phone based ecological momentary intervention (EMI) to increase fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption in low-consuming young adults.Methods: A two-week randomised controlled trial of low-FV consuming young adults ages 18-25 years (n = 171) compared three conditions: ecological momentary intervention (EMI), fruit and vegetable intervention (FVI), and a diet-as-usual control (ANZCTRN12615000183583). Participants in the EMI condition were sent two targeted text messages a day for 13 days and were asked to increase daily FV consumption to at least five servings. These messages were designed, using the Health Action Process Approach, to address salient beliefs identified as effective in a preliminary focus group investigation. Participants in the FVI condition were provided two servings of FV a day (carrots, kiwifruit or oranges, and apples) to eat in addition to their current diet. Control participants ate their normal diet. Participants reported their daily servings of FV each evening during the study using a smartphone-delivered survey. Blood samples testing plasma vitamin C and total carotenoids were taken pre- and post-intervention as an objective biomarker of FV intake.Results: Participants in the EMI and FVI conditions reported higher daily servings of FV - approximately +1 serving per day more compared to control (EMI = 3.7 servings/day; FVI = 3.7 servings/day; Control = 2.8 servings/day) and approximately +1.2 servings compared to baseline. Increases in objective biomarkers for the experimental conditions supported the validity of self-reported FV consumption.Conclusions: Our results provide initial proof of concept that EMI strategies (with minor financial assistance) are as effective as giving FV in increasing FV consumption in educated, low-consuming young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Australian and most international Dietary Guidelines recommend people consume more fruits and vegetables (F&V) to maintain a healthy weight and reduce chronic disease risk. Previous Australian and international surveys have shown sub-optimal consumption of F&V.Objectives: This study aimed to assess adults' F&V consumption, knowledge of recommended servings, readiness to change, barriers/enabling factors, so that this knowledge might be used for campaigns that support improved consumption.Material and Methods: An online survey of a representative sample of adults living in New South Wales, Australia (n = 2474) measuring self-reported F&V consumption; attitudes towards F&V consumption; stage of change for increasing F&V; barriers to consumption; and knowledge of cancer-health benefits.Results: F&V consumption was below recommendations, with vegetable consumption notably low. Only 10% of participants ate at least five servings of vegetables/day (median intake was two daily servings), and 57% consumed two servings fruit/day. There was poor recognition that intake of vegetables was inadequate and this was a barrier to improving vegetable consumption; with preferences for other foods, habit and cost also important barriers. Key barriers to increasing fruit intake were habit, preferences for other foods, perishability, and cost. For vegetable consumption, 49% of participants were in the pre-contemplation stage of change, whereas for fruits 56% were in the action/maintenance stage. Sixty-four percent of respondents believed that eating F&V would protect against cancer, with 56% reporting they thought not eating enough F&V would cause cancer.Implications: Understanding what motivates and prevents people from consuming F&V is important for developing effective health promotion programs. Similar to previous surveys, there has been little shift in F&V consumption. Social marketing campaigns have been shown to improve health-related behaviours, and this study may assist in identifying audience segmentation for better targeted campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dietary energy density (ED) is a measure of diet quality that estimates the amount of energy per unit of food (kilocalories per gram) consumed. Low-ED diets are generally high in fiber and fruits and vegetables and low in fat. Dietary ED has been positively associated with body mass index (BMI) and other risk factors for postmenopausal breast cancer.Objective: We evaluated the associations of total dietary ED and energy-dense (high-ED) foods with postmenopausal breast cancer incidence.Methods: Analyses included 56,795 postmenopausal women from the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort with no previous history of breast or other cancers and who provided information on diet, lifestyle, and medical history in 1999. Multivariable-adjusted breast cancer incidence rate ratios (RRs and 95% CIs) were estimated for quintiles of total dietary ED and for the consumption of high-ED foods in Cox proportional hazards regression models.Results: During a median follow-up of 11.7 y, 2509 invasive breast cancer cases were identified, including 1857 estrogen receptor-positive and 277 estrogen receptor-negative tumors. Median dietary ED was 1.5 kcal/g (IQR: 1.3-1.7 kcal/g). After adjusting for age, race, education, reproductive characteristics, and family history, high compared with low dietary ED was associated with a statistically significantly higher risk of breast cancer (RR for fifth quintile compared with first quintile: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.36; P-trend = 0.03). The association between the amount of high-ED foods consumed and breast cancer risk was not statistically significant. We observed no differences by estrogen receptor status or effect modification by BMI, age, or physical activity.Conclusion: These results suggest a modest positive association between total dietary ED and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To describe time trends in the availability of healthier children's menu items in the top selling quick service restaurant (QSR) chains. Methods. We used Technomic Inc.'s MenuMonitor to construct a data set of side and beverage items available on children's menus from 2004 to 2015 at 20 QSR chains in the United States. We evaluated the significance of time trends in the average availability of healthier fruit and nonfried vegetable sides and nonsugary beverages offered as options and by default in children's meal bundles. Results. Healthier sides and beverages offered as options increased by 57.5 and 25.0 percentage points, respectively, from 2004 to 2015 but leveled off starting in 2013. Healthier items bundled by default also increased during this time frame, with most adoption occurring after 2010. However, these items remain relatively uncommon, with less than 20% of meal bundles including healthier items by default. All tests evaluating time trends in the availability of healthier items in meal bundles were significant at P <.001. Conclusions. The QSRs evaluated made improvements in the quality of sides and beverages offered on children's menus from 2004 to 2015. Additional efforts are needed to increase the percentage of healthier options offered by default. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Overweight and obesity prevalences in Mexico are among the highest in the world, with dietary factors being the third-leading category of risk contributing to the burden of disease. Consequently, studying the compliance of the Mexican population to food-based dietary recommendations is essential for informing nutritional policies.Objectives: We described the energy contribution of food groups to total dietary energy intake of the Mexican population and by sociodemographic subgroups and compared these results with Mexican dietary recommendations.Methods: Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls for participants aged ≥5 y (n = 7983) from the 2012 Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey were used. Foods and beverages were classified into 8 groups (the first 6 were called "basic foods" and the last 2 "discretionary foods"), as follows: 1) cereals, 2) legumes, 3) milk and dairy, 4) meat and animal products, 5) fruit and vegetables, 6) fats and oils, 7) sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and 8) products high in saturated fat and/or added sugar (HSFAS). Recommendations were based on the Mexican Dietary Guidelines (MDG). Energy contributions from the food groups by age, sex, region, residence (rural or urban), and socioeconomic status (SES) were estimated.Results: The highest contribution to total energy intake came from cereals (33%) followed by HSFAS (16%), meat and animal products (14%), and SSBs (9.8%). Fruit and vegetables (5.7%) and legumes (3.8%) had the lowest contribution. Energy contribution of several food groups differed significantly between population subgroups. Overall, discretionary foods contributed more than one-quarter of total energy intake (26%) and were 13 percentage points above the maximum allowed by the recommendations, whereas the intakes of legumes and fruit and vegetables were much lower than recommended.Conclusions: Our results show the need to generate a food environment conducive to a healthier diet in the Mexican population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fresh fruit and vegetable consumption (FFV) is integral to a healthy diet and increased longevity, yet 25.8 million Americans live in areas of restricted access, with under-resourced communities particularly vulnerable. To consider how immediate environment influences FFV, this study uses the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey (N = 122,265) to examine the influence of sprawl on FFV consumption. Findings indicate that higher sprawl relates to lower FFV consumption, and this relationship persists net of demographic covariates. Implications offer that social work's person-in-environment approach can increase FFV access in under-resourced communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous studies have shown that occupational or environmental pesticide exposure can affect male fertility. There is less evidence, however, regarding any potentially adverse effects of pesticide residues in foods on markers of male fertility potential.Objectives: We examined the relations between fruit and vegetable intake, considering pesticide residue status, and semen quality and serum concentrations of reproductive hormones in healthy young men.Methods: The Rochester Young Men's Study is a cross-sectional study that recruited men aged 18-22 y (n = 189) in Rochester, New York. Participants completed a questionnaire, provided a semen sample, had a blood sample drawn, and underwent a physical examination at enrollment. Semen samples were analyzed for total sperm count, sperm concentration, morphology, motility, ejaculate volume, total motile count, and total normal count. Dietary intake during the previous year was assessed by a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Fruit and vegetables were categorized as having high [Pesticide Residue Burden Score (PRBS) ≥4] or low-to-moderate (PRBS <4) pesticide residues on the basis of data from the USDA Pesticide Data Program. Linear regression models were used to analyze the associations of fruit and vegetable intake with semen variables and reproductive hormones while adjusting for potential confounding factors.Results: The total intake of fruit and vegetables was unrelated to semen quality. However, the intake of fruit and vegetables with low-to-moderate pesticide residues was associated with a higher total sperm count and sperm concentration, whereas the intake of fruit and vegetables with high pesticide residues was unrelated to semen quality. On average, men in the highest quartile of low-to-moderate-pesticide fruit and vegetable intake (≥2.8 servings/d) had a 169% (95% CI: 45%, 400%) higher total sperm count and a 173% (95% CI: 57%, 375%) higher sperm concentration than did men in the lowest quartile (<1.1 servings/d; P-trend = 0.003 and 0.0005, respectively). The intake of fruit and vegetables, regardless of pesticide-residue status, was not associated with reproductive hormone concentrations.Conclusions: The consumption of fruit and vegetables with low-to-moderate pesticide residues was positively related to sperm counts in young men unselected by fertility status. This suggests that pesticide residues may modify the beneficial effects of fruit and vegetable intake on semen quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the relative validity and reproducibility of the semi-quantitative FFQ (SFFQ) applied in the evaluation of a community intervention study, SoL-Bornholm, for estimating food intakes.Design: The reference measure was a 4 d estimated food record. The SFFQ was completed two times separated by a 1-month period in order to test reproducibility.Setting: The Capital Region and the Regional Municipality of Bornholm, Denmark.Subjects: A total of fifty-four children aged 3-9 years were enrolled in the study.Results: In terms of validity, the SFFQ generally overestimated intakes compared with the food records, especially for vegetables. For most intakes, the mean difference increased with increasing intake. Gross misclassification was on average higher for energy and nutrients (17%) than for foods (8%). Spearman correlation coefficients were significant for twelve out of fourteen intakes, ranging from 0·29 to 0·63 for foods and from 0·12 to 0·48 for energy and nutrients. Comparing the repeated SFFQ administrations, the intakes of the first SFFQ were slightly higher than those of the second SFFQ. Gross misclassification was low for most intakes; on average 6% for foods and 8% for energy and nutrients. Intra-class correlations were significant for all intakes, ranging from 0·30 to 0·82 for foods and from 0·46 to 0·81 for energy and nutrients.Conclusions: The results indicate that the SFFQ gives reproducible estimates. The relative validity of the SFFQ was low to moderate for most intakes but comparable to other studies among children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the relationship between the local retail food environment and consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) in São Paulo, Brazil, as well as the moderation effects of income in the studied relationships.Design: Cross-sectional study design that drew upon neighbourhood- and individual-level data. For each participant, community (density and proximity) and community food environment (availability, variety, quality and price) measures of FV and SSB were assessed in retail food stores and specialized fresh produce markets within 1·6 km of their homes. Poisson generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to model the associations of food consumption with food environment measures, adjusted by individual-level characteristics.Setting: São Paulo, Brazil.Subjects: Adults (n 1842) residing in the same census tracts (n 52) in São Paulo, Brazil as those where the neighbourhood-level measures were taken.Results: FV availability in neighbourhoods was associated with regular FV consumption (≥5 times/week; prevalence ratio=1·41; 95 % CI 1·19, 1·67). Regular FV consumption prevalence was significantly lower among lower-income individuals living in neighbourhoods with fewer supermarkets and fresh produce markets (P-interaction <0·05). A greater variety of SSB was associated with a 15 % increase in regular SSB consumption (≥5 times/week) prevalence, after adjustment for confounding variables.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the local retail food environment is associated with FV and SSB consumption in a Brazilian urban sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health messages are a commonly used way to promote changes in dietary habits but their efficacy could be enhanced by strategies such as the way in which the presented arguments are framed. This study aimed to test the effectiveness of framed messages (gain vs. loss) on behavioural intention and fruit and vegetable (FV) intake, comparing predictions based on prominent theoretical perspectives on message framing (function of the health behaviour and recipients' motivational orientation) and by further exploring the role of baseline intentions as a potential moderator of the framing effects. Undergraduate students (N = 180) completed the three assessment points in time. At baseline, individual moderators (motivational orientation and intentions) and fruit and vegetable intake were assessed. One week later, participants were randomly assigned to the loss or gain-framed message and indicated their intentions for FV intake the following week. A week later, FV intake over the previous week was assessed. The gain-frame was not conducive, per se, to higher intentions or behaviour. Having intention as the outcome, only baseline intentions moderated the effects of message frame. When considering FV intake as the outcome, both motivational orientation and baseline intentions moderated the effects of message frame, with the loss-frame promoting higher FV intake among individuals who were prevention-oriented and had higher baseline intentions. Findings suggest that the success of framed messages for FV intake depends upon the recipient's characteristics, such as motivational orientation, baseline intentions, and cultural background, with implications for health communication interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Dietary intentions are supposed to engender planning processes, which in turn stimulate dietary behaviour change. However, some studies failed to find such mediation effects, which suggest more complex and not yet unravelled relationships between these factors. One explanation may be that mediation works better under certain circumstances or only for specific subgroups. This study addresses this reasoning by examining autonomy beliefs and sex as putative moderators of the hypothesized mediation chain.Design and Methods: In a longitudinal design with three measurement points in time (1 week and 1 month apart), 912 women and 214 men were surveyed. Planning, intention, dietary autonomy beliefs, and sex were used to predict fruit and vegetable intake within a conditional process model designed to identify mechanisms of change.Results: The intention-planning-behaviour chain was qualified by a triple interaction involving autonomy beliefs and sex as moderators between intention and planning. Higher dietary autonomy resulted in higher levels of planning fruit and vegetable intake. For men, even in case of higher intention, at least medium levels of autonomy beliefs were necessary to facilitate planning processes. For women, already lower levels of autonomy beliefs can engender postintentional planning strategies and seem to even compensate lower intention.Conclusions: Intention and planning are key predictors of dietary change. However, these variables work better under specific conditions (with a sufficient level of autonomy), and differently in subgroups (men vs. women). These results may explain the inconsistent findings of previous studies on the mediating effect of planning and allow for a better description of the mechanisms by which intentions may influence behaviour. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? The adoption of health-enhancing dietary behaviours can be facilitated by intentions and planning. Planning to eat more fruit and vegetable helps to translate intentions into actual consumption. Fruit and vegetable intake levels are higher in women than in men. What does this study add? Dietary intentions engender more likely planning processes when perceived autonomy concerning food consumption is high. Dietary autonomy beliefs and sex moderate the intention-planning-behaviour chain. Among men, dietary planning is highest when both intentions and autonomy are high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify determinants of fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption among school-aged children.Design: A survey study was conducted in October 2010. The questionnaire contained questions concerning social and demographic data, lifestyle and dietary habits, particularly the frequency of F&V consumption, availability of F&V and knowledge about recommended amounts of F&V intake.Setting: Polish primary schools.Subjects: Children (n 1255) aged 9 years from randomly selected primary schools and their parents.Results: The children's consumption of fruit and of vegetables was influenced by the fruit consumption and vegetable consumption of their parents (r=0·333 and r=0·273, respectively; P=0·001), parents encouraging their children to eat F&V (r=0·259 and r=0·271, respectively; P=0·001), giving children F&V to take to school (r=0·338 and r=0·321, respectively; P=0·001) and the availability of F&V at home (r=0·200 and r=0·296, respectively; P=0·001). Parental education influenced only the frequency of fruit consumption (r=0·074; P=0·01). A correlation between parents' knowledge of the recommended intakes and the frequency of vegetable and fruit consumption by children was noticed (r=0·258 and r=0·192, respectively, P=0·001).Conclusions: Factors within the family environment such as parents' dietary habits and F&V availability had the greatest influence on the F&V consumption by children. Educational activities aimed at parents are crucial to increase the consumption of F&V among children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine characteristics potentially associated with school lunch fruit and vegetable waste, both overall and pre/post implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.Design: Multi-year (2010-2013) cross-sectional study using pre- and post-meal digital photographs of students' school lunch trays to estimate fruit and vegetable availability and consumption. Fruit and vegetable items were categorized for factors suspected to impact waste: prior farm to school years, placement (main menu, salad bar), procurement (local, conventional), preparation (cooked, raw) and meal component (entrée, side, topping). Analyses to assess within-category differences in waste volume were performed using a Tobit model.Setting: Wisconsin elementary schools participating in farm to school programmes, USA.Subjects: Children in third to fifth grade.Results: Many within-factor differences were detected overall and/or across time. Cooked fruits were wasted less than raw, while cooked vegetables were wasted more than raw. Where identified, locally sourced items were wasted more than conventionally sourced (+0·1 cups, P<0·0001) and salad bar items more than main menu items (+0·01 cups, P<0·0001). Increasing prior farm to school years decreased waste (-0·02 cups, P<0·0001). Items previously tried were wasted at the same volume whether reported as liked or not. New school lunch meal pattern requirement implementation did not uniformly impact fruit and vegetable waste across all categories and there was no change in waste for seven of fifteen assessed categories.Conclusions: Many factors impact elementary students' school lunch waste. These factors may be helpful for school food-service authorities to consider when planning school menus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explain patterns of fruit and vegetable consumption in nine former Soviet Union countries by exploring the influence of a range of individual- and community-level determinants.Design: Cross-sectional nationally representative surveys and area profiles were undertaken in 2010 in nine countries of the former Soviet Union as part of the Health in Times of Transition (HITT) study. Individual- and area-level determinants were analysed, taking into account potential confounding at the individual and area level.Setting: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine.Subjects: Adult survey respondents (n 17 998) aged 18-95 years.Results: Being male, increasing age, lack of education and lack of financial resources were associated with lower probability of consuming adequate amounts of fruit or vegetables. Daily fruit or vegetable consumption was positively correlated with the number of shops selling fruit and vegetables (for women) and with the number of convenience stores (for men). Billboard advertising of snacks and sweet drinks was negatively related to daily fruit or vegetable consumption, although the reverse was true for billboards advertising soft drinks. Men living near a fast-food outlet had a lower probability of fruit or vegetable consumption, while the opposite was true for the number of local food restaurants.Conclusions: Overall fruit and vegetable consumption in the former Soviet Union is inadequate, particularly among lower socio-economic groups. Both individual- and community-level factors play a role in explaining inadequate nutrition and thus provide potential entry points for policy interventions, while the nuanced influence of community factors informs the agenda for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is evidence that if a health professional is active and has a healthy diet, he/she is more likely to advise patients about the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating The aims of this study were to: (1) describe the personal physical activity, consumption of fruits and vegetables behaviors and nutritional status of community health workers; (2) evaluate the association between knowledge, delivery of preventive counseling and personal behaviors among community health workers.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a nationally sample of health professionals working in primary health care settings in Brazil in 2011. This survey was part of the second phase of the Guide for Useful Interventions for Activity in Brazil and Latin America project, and data were collected through telephone interviews of 269 community health workers from the Unified Health Care system of Brazil. We applied questionnaires about personal reported behaviors, knowledge and preventive counseling in physical activity and consumption of fruits and vegetables. We calculated the prevalence and associations between the variables with logistic regression.Results: The proportion of community health workers that practiced 150 minutes per week of physical activity in leisure time or transportation was high (64.9%). Half of community health workers were overweight and only 26.2% reported consuming five portions/day of fruits or vegetables. Most community health workers reported counseling about physical activity for more than six months (59.7%), and most were not knowledgeable of the fruits and vegetables and physical activity recommendations. Meeting the fruits and vegetables recommendations was associated with correct knowledge (OR = 4.5; CI95% 1.03;19.7), with reporting 150 minutes or more of physical activity per week (OR = 2.0; CI95% 1.03;3.7) and with reporting physical activity in leisure time (OR = 2.0; CI95% 1.05;3.6). Regular physical activity counseling was associated with reporting 10-149 minutes per week (OR = 3.8; CI95% 1.1;13.3) and with more than 150 minutes of physical activity per week (OR = 4.9; CI95% 1.5;16.5).Conclusion: Actions to promote physical activity and healthy eating and to improve knowledge among community health workers within the health care system of Brazil could have a potential positive influence on delivery of preventive counseling to patients on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of two subsequent intervention components (motivational and self-regulatory components), placed in different order, to promote fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. Methods: After baseline assessment, university students ( N  = 205, aged 18–26 years) were allocated to two groups. One group received a motivational intervention (outcome expectancies, risk perception, and task self-efficacy) followed by a self-regulatory intervention (planning and dietary self-efficacy) after 17 days. The second group received the same intervention conditions in the opposite order. Follow-up assessments were done after another 17 days. Results: Both intervention sequences yielded gains in terms of FV intake and self-efficacy. However, this gain was only due to the self-regulatory component whereas the motivational component did not contribute to the changes. Moreover, changes in intention and self-efficacy mediated between intervention sequence and follow-up behavior, suggesting that improving these proximal predictors of FV intake was responsible for the behavioral gains. Conclusions: Findings highlight the superiority of a self-regulatory intervention over a motivational intervention when it comes to dietary changes in this sample of young adults. Moreover, changes in dietary self-efficacy may drive nutritional changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High daily intake of fruit and vegetables promotes population health and is inversely associated with morbidity and mortality. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are among main predictors of fruit and vegetables consumption. The current study aimed to evaluate these associations using province level data in Iran during the years 2007 2009. Methods: Data on the mean number of fruit and vegetables consumption per day in age and sex stratum at the province level from three consecutive stepwise non communicable diseases risk factors surveys were obtained. Data about provinces' socioeconomic status (SES) were obtained from the Statistical Centre of Iran and published reports. One way repeated measures ANOVA and random effect linear regression models were applied for non stratified and stratified analyses, respectively. Results: There were substantial variations in the fruit and vegetables consumption across the country. Consumption of vegetables was higher than fruit over the study period. There were no statistically significant differences in fruit (P = 0.52) and vegetables (P = 0.14) intake among men and women. Older age was associated with lower consumption of fruit. People in the provinces with better SES consumed higher amounts of combined fruit and vegetables and this association was more profound among females. Conclusions: The results suggest that policies and interventions to improve the intake of fruit and vegetables in the country may be significantly beneficial, especially for older people and women in low socioeconomic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira em Promoção da Saúde is the property of Revista Brasileira em Promocao da Saude and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Brasileira em Promoção da Saúde is the property of Revista Brasileira em Promocao da Saude and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Children’s unwillingness to try new foods, or food neophobia, may impact dietary behaviors. As part of an effort to evaluate Farm to School programs, the Fruit and Vegetable Neophobia Instrument (FVNI) was developed to measure student attitudes toward new fruits and vegetables. A self-administered, paper/pencil, 18-item questionnaire, the FVNI was adapted from the Food Neophobia Scale. The FVNI has two subscales: a fruit subscale that asks about a child’s willingness to try new fruits in different circumstances and an analogous vegetable subscale. The FVNI was administered to 1485 third-through fifth-grade students (ages 8–10years) from nine schools in two states at the start of the 2009–2010 school year. Data analysis used factor analyses, reliabilities, and LISREL structural equation models. The FVNI exhibited a two-factor structure and strong measures of model fit (χ 2 /df =5.36; Goodness of Fit =0.92; Adjusted Goodness of Fit = 0.89; Non-Normed Fit Index =0.97; RMSEA =0.07; and RMSR =0.052). In this exploratory analysis, the FVNI proved to be internally consistent in assessing third-through fifth-grade students’ fruit and vegetable neophobia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present study assessed whether factual nutritional information on portion sizes helps consumers to select healthier meals. 124 people were invited to serve themselves lunch from a ‘fake food buffet’ containing 55 replica food items. Participants in the control group were instructed to serve themselves a meal, as they would normally eat from the given selections (control). Participants in the second condition were asked to select a healthy, balanced meal (instruction). People in the third group were also instructed to select a healthy meal, but in addition, they received nutrition information (instruction+information). The results suggest that participants in the instruction and instruction+information condition chose fewer sweets and desserts (F (2,121) =6.91, P <.05) but more fruits (F (2,121) =5.16, P <.05). This led to overall healthier meals than in the control group. All other food categories, including vegetables, were not altered. No difference was found between the two experimental groups. The results indicate that factual nutrition information does not help consumers compose healthier meals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: A consistent body of research has shown that the neighborhood food environment is associated with fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption and obesity in deprived neighborhoods in the United States. However, these studies have often neglected to consider how transportation can moderate associations between food accessibility and diet-related outcomes. Objective: This study examined associations between distance to primary food store, fruit and vegetable consumption, and BMI and whether mode of transportation to the primary food store moderates this relation. Design: Cross-sectional data from the baseline wave of the Philadelphia Neighborhood Food Environment Study were used. A telephone survey of adult (≥ 18 y of age) household primary food shoppers residing in 2 Philadelphia neighborhoods was conducted (n = 1440). Results: In a bivariate linear regression analysis, distance to primary food store did not predict F&V consumption (β = 0.04; 95% CI: -0.00, 0.09). Linear regression analysis stratified by transportation mode to the main F&V store showed no difference in F&V consumption between car, public, and multimodal transportation users. Compared with respondents using multimodal transportation, those using public transit had a significantly lower BMI (β = 1.31; 95% CI: -2.50, -0.10), whereas those using an automobile did not (β = -0.41; 95% CI: -1.36, 0.54). Conclusions: The assumption that using an automobile to access food stores results in increased F&V consumption was not confirmed. Significant associations were found for the relation between transportation mode and BMI. Theory-based mechanisms explaining relationships between the primary transportation mode used to access food stores and BMI should be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies take into account the influence of family size on household resources when assessing income disparities in fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption. Poverty income ratio (PIR) is a measure that utilizes both reported income and household size. We sought to examine state-specific disparities in meeting Healthy People 2010 objectives for F/V consumption by percent PIR. This analysis included 353,005 adults in 54 states and territories reporting data to the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in the United States. Percent PIR was calculated using the midpoint of self-reported income range and family size. The prevalences consuming at least two fruits and at least three vegetables per day were examined by percent PIR (<130% [greatest poverty], 130% to <200%, 200% to <400%, and ≥400% [least poverty]). The percent of adults consuming vegetables at least three times daily was significantly lower (21.3%) among those living at greatest poverty (<130% PIR) compared with 30.7% among those with least poverty (≥400% PIR). Daily consumption of vegetables at least three times was significantly lower among those with greatest poverty in a majority of states and territories surveyed (43 of 54). The overall percent of adults consuming fruits at least 2 times daily was also lower among those living at greatest vs least poverty, but the difference was smaller (32.0% vs 34.2%), with 14 states reporting a difference that was significantly lower among those with greatest poverty. Our study revealed that in 2009 a significantly lower proportion of US adults living at greatest poverty consumed fruits at least two times daily or vegetables at least three times daily compared with those with the least poverty, with greater disparity in vegetable intake. Policy and environmental strategies for increased affordability, access, availability, and point-of-decision information are approaches that may help disparate households purchase and consume F/V. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]