Perceived Benefits and Barriers of Increased Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: Validation of a Decisional Balance Scale

Purpose. To examine the application of the transtheoretical model (TTM) to fruit and vegetable consumption among economically disadvantaged African-American adolescents. Methods. Scales for measuring decisional balance, situational self-efficacy, and processes of change for fruit and vegetable consumption were developed and pretested with 57 economically disadvantaged African-American adolescents. The scales and measures for assessing stages of change, demographic variables, and fruit and vegetable consumption were administered to a separate sample of 262 participants. t-tests for independent samples and analysis of variance were used to examine differences in TTM variables and fruit and vegetable consumption across stages of change. Results. Two-factor solutions for decisional balance and processes of change and a three-factor solution for situational self-efficacy provided the best fit to the data. Alpha coefficients of reliability for the scales ranged from .77 (experiential change processes) to .91 (pros). Participants in action-maintenance stages evidenced higher pros, self-efficacy, and fruit and vegetable consumption and significantly lower cons than did participants in precontemplation and contemplation-preparation stages. Also, participants in action-maintenance stages used processes of change more frequently than did those in precontemplation-contemplation-preparation stages. The use of experiential and behavioral processes within these stages did not differ significantly, as posited. Discussion. Observed differences in TTM variables and fruit and vegetable consumption by stage of change in this sample of economically disadvantaged African-American adolescents were consistent with theory and previous applications of the model to fruit and vegetable consumption in adults. With replication studies, the TTM may be appropriate for designing interventions to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among this population.

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The Effective Factors for Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Adults: A Need Assessment Study Based on Trans-Theoretical Model

Global Journal of Health Science ◽

10.5539/gjhs.v8n10p203 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (10) ◽

pp. 203

Author(s):

Seyed Mohammad Mahdi Hazavehei ◽

Sara Shahabadi ◽

Manoochehr Karami ◽

Mohammad Reza Saidi ◽

Saeed Bashiriyan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stages Of Change ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Decisional Balance ◽

Influential Factors ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽

World Health ◽

Processes Of Change ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Mean

Introduction: The World Health Organization recommended consuming at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables (FV) per day in order to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The purpose of this study is to determine the influential factors related to intake of FV among adults in Kermanshah city based on Transtheoritical Model.Material and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study which is conducted in Kermanshah city. Participants (n=1230) are selected by multi stage sampling; 30-50 year olds people covered by health centers. In order to collect data, we used a TTM-based questionnaire. The results are analyzed using SPSS-16 and Lisrel 8, with P< 0.05 as statistically significant level.Results: The mean age of the participants is 37.75 and 65% of them are women .The mean score of knowledge is 2.4; that is, 80% of men and 78% of women in this study are in poor knowledge about FV consumption. In case of fruit and vegetable consumption behavior, 50% and 61% of participants are in pre-contemplation/contemplation stage, respectively. The average number of fruit servings is 1.42 and the average number of vegetable servings is 0.99 per day. Also, ANOVA test results showed a significant correlation between constructs of TTM and stages of change so that individuals' progress through stages of change from pre-contemplation to maintenance added on the scores of self-efficiency, processes of change, and decisional balance.Conclusion: This study indicated that, TTM constructs such as self-efficacy, processes of change, and decisional balance are good predictors for FV consumption.

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Lettuce Be Happy: The Effects of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption on Subjective Well-Being in the UK

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3211798 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Neel Ocean ◽

Peter Howley ◽

Jonathan Ensor

Keyword(s):

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Well Being ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

The Uk

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NP19 A Supermarket Intervention to Promote Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Low-Income Families

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.jneb.2019.05.343 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 51 (7) ◽

pp. S18-S19

Author(s):

Michele Polacsek ◽

Alyssa Moran ◽

Anne Thorndike ◽

Rebecca Franckle ◽

Rebecca Boulos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Low Income Families

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Healthy eating: a matter of prioritisation by households or policymakers?

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021000677 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

Joreintje Dingena Mackenbach

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Low Income ◽

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Food System ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Decision Making Processes

Abstract I reflect upon the potential reasons why American low-income households do not spend an optimal proportion of their food budgets on fruits and vegetables, even though this would allow them to meet the recommended levels of fruit and vegetable consumption. Other priorities than health, automatic decision-making processes and access to healthy foods play a role, but solutions for the persistent socio-economic inequalities in diet should be sought in the wider food system which promotes cheap, mass-produced foods. I argue that, ultimately, healthy eating is not a matter of prioritisation by individual households but by policymakers.

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High-Fiber Diet during Pregnancy Characterized by More Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13010035 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 35

Author(s):

Rachelle A. Pretorius ◽

Debra J. Palmer

Keyword(s):

Dietary Fiber ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Late Pregnancy ◽

Further Education ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽

Fiber Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Total Dietary Fiber ◽

Potential Health ◽

High Fiber

Higher dietary fiber intakes during pregnancy may have the potential health benefits of increasing gut microbiome diversity, lowering the risk of glucose intolerance and pre-eclampsia, achieving appropriate gestational weight gain, and preventing constipation. In this observational cohort study, we have assessed the dietary fiber intakes of 804 women in late pregnancy, using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQ-FFQ). Overall, the median (interquartile range) dietary fiber intake was 24.1 (19.0–29.7) grams per day (g/day). Only 237/804 (29.5%) women met the recommended Adequate Intake (AI) of dietary fiber during pregnancy of 28 g/day. Women consuming the highest quartile of fiber intakes (34.8 (IQR 32.1–39.5) g/day) consumed more fruit, especially apples and bananas, than women consuming the lowest quartile of fiber intakes (15.9 (IQR 14.4–17.5) g/day). These women in the highest fiber-intake quartile were older (p < 0.01), more had completed further education after secondary school (p = 0.04), and they also consumed more vegetables (67 g/day) compared to the women in the lowest fiber consumption quartile (17 g vegetables/day). Bread intakes of 39–42 g/day were consistent in quantities consumed across all four fiber-intake quartiles. Our findings suggest that antenatal education advice targeting increased fruit and vegetable consumption before and during pregnancy may be a simple strategy to achieve increased total dietary fiber intakes to reach recommended quantities.

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