Personal, social and environmental predictors of daily fruit and vegetable intake in 11-year-old children in nine European countries

AbstractObjectivesTo investigate the internal consistency of the scales and the test–retest reliability and predictive validity of behaviour theory-based constructs measuring personal, social and environmental correlates of fruit and vegetable intake in 10–11-year-old children.DesignTest–retest with one-week interval.SettingFive European countries: Norway, Spain, Denmark, Portugal, Belgium.SubjectsThree hundred and twenty-six children completed the questionnaire during class hours.ResultsFor the total sample across all countries, the test–retest reliability was good to very good (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) >0.60) for 12 out of the 15 fruit constructs and also for 12 out of the 15 vegetable constructs. Acceptable ICCs, ranging between 0.50 and 0.59, were found for the remaining constructs. Test–retest reliability was comparable across countries. Only in Portugal were some significantly lower ICCs found for some constructs (knowledge and barriers related to fruit, general self-efficacy related to fruit and vegetables) compared with the other countries. Cronbach'sαvalues were moderate to high (range 0.52 to 0.89) with the exception of the general self-efficacy scale, which had a value below 0.50 for both fruit (α= 0.42) and vegetables (α= 0.49). Spearman correlations with intake ranged between -0.16 and 0.54 for personal determinants and between 0.05 and 0.38 for environmental determinants. Compared with other studies, predictive validity can be considered moderate to good.ConclusionsThe questionnaire provides a reliable, valid and easy-to-administer tool for assessing personal, social and environmental factors of potential influence on fruit and vegetable intake in 10–11-year-olds.

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Role of free school lunch in the associations between family-environmental factors and children's fruit and vegetable intake in four European countries

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980012004181 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 16 (6) ◽

pp. 1109-1117 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Carola Ray ◽

Eva Roos ◽

Johannes Brug ◽

Isabel Behrendt ◽

Bettina Ehrenblad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

School Lunch ◽

European Countries ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

School Lunches ◽

Free School ◽

Family Routine

AbstractObjectiveTo determine whether an association exists between different clusters of fruit- and vegetable-specific family-environmental factors and children's daily fruit and vegetable intake, and whether these associations differ between countries with different school lunch policies.DesignCross-sectional data from four European countries participating in the Pro Greens project in 2009. These countries have different school food policies: two serve free school lunches and two do not. Self-administered data were used. Food frequency questions served to assess fruit and vegetable intakes. The study assessed sixteen children-perceived family-environmental factors, which were clustered based on principal component analysis into five sum variables: fruit and vegetable encouragement; vegetable modelling, family routine and demand; fruit modelling; fruit and vegetable snacking practices; and fruit and vegetable allowing.SettingSchools in Finland, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.SubjectsSchoolchildren aged 11 years (n3317).ResultsMultilevel logistic regression analyses revealed positive associations between nearly all clustered family-environmental factors and daily fruit and vegetable intake. The study tested a moderation effect between family-environmental factors and school lunch policy. In five out of twenty models significant interactions occurred. In the stratified analyses, most of the associations between family-environmental factors and raw and cooked vegetable intake were stronger in Germany and the Netherlands, neither of which provided free school lunches.ConclusionsChildren reporting more fruit- and vegetable-promoting family-environmental factors had a more frequent intake of fruits and vegetables; the associations were stronger for vegetable intakes in countries providing no free school lunches, suggesting that parental involvement is crucial when schools offer no vegetables.

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Association of plasma biomarkers of fruit and vegetable intake with incident type 2 diabetes: EPIC-InterAct case-cohort study in eight European countries

BMJ ◽

10.1136/bmj.m2194 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. m2194 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ju-Sheng Zheng ◽

Stephen J Sharp ◽

Fumiaki Imamura ◽

Rajiv Chowdhury ◽

Thomas E Gundersen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Vitamin C ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

European Countries ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Plasma Vitamin ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Incident Type ◽

Incident Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract Objective To investigate the association of plasma vitamin C and carotenoids, as indicators of fruit and vegetable intake, with the risk of type 2 diabetes. Design Prospective case-cohort study. Setting Populations from eight European countries. Participants 9754 participants with incident type 2 diabetes, and a subcohort of 13 662 individuals from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort of 340 234 participants: EPIC-InterAct case-cohort study. Main outcome measure Incident type 2 diabetes. Results In a multivariable adjusted model, higher plasma vitamin C was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio per standard deviation 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.76 to 0.89). A similar inverse association was shown for total carotenoids (hazard ratio per standard deviation 0.75, 0.68 to 0.82). A composite biomarker score (split into five equal groups), comprising vitamin C and individual carotenoids, was inversely associated with type 2 diabetes with hazard ratios 0.77, 0.66, 0.59, and 0.50 for groups 2-5 compared with group 1 (the lowest group). Self-reported median fruit and vegetable intake was 274 g/day, 396 g/day, and 508 g/day for participants in categories defined by groups 1, 3, and 5 of the composite biomarker score, respectively. One standard deviation difference in the composite biomarker score, equivalent to a 66 (95% confidence interval 61 to 71) g/day difference in total fruit and vegetable intake, was associated with a hazard ratio of 0.75 (0.67 to 0.83). This would be equivalent to an absolute risk reduction of 0.95 per 1000 person years of follow up if achieved across an entire population with the characteristics of the eight European countries included in this analysis. Conclusions These findings indicate an inverse association between plasma vitamin C, carotenoids, and their composite biomarker score, and incident type 2 diabetes in different European countries. These biomarkers are objective indicators of fruit and vegetable consumption, and suggest that diets rich in even modestly higher fruit and vegetable consumption could help to prevent development of type 2 diabetes.

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Fruit and Vegetable Intake in a Sample of 11-Year-Old Children in 9 European Countries: The Pro Children Cross-Sectional Survey

Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1159/000087247 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 49 (4) ◽

pp. 236-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 198

Author(s):

Agneta Yngve ◽

Alexandra Wolf ◽

Eric Poortvliet ◽

Ibrahim Elmadfa ◽

Johannes Brug ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vegetable Intake ◽

European Countries ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional

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Fruit and Vegetable Intake of Mothers of 11-Year-Old Children in Nine European Countries: The Pro Children Cross-Sectional Survey

Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1159/000087248 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 49 (4) ◽

pp. 246-254 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Alexandra Wolf ◽

Agneta Yngve ◽

Ibrahim Elmadfa ◽

Eric Poortvliet ◽

Bettina Ehrenblad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vegetable Intake ◽

European Countries ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional

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Personal, Social and Environmental Factors regarding Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Schoolchildren in Nine European Countries

Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1159/000087332 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 49 (4) ◽

pp. 255-266 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Camilla Sandvik ◽

Ilse de Bourdeaudhuij ◽

Pernille Due ◽

Johannes Brug ◽

Marianne Wind ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

European Countries ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Fruit and vegetable intake: Few adolescent girls meet national guidelines.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.8128.465616 ◽

2006 ◽

Author(s):

Andreas Karwautz

Keyword(s):

Adolescent Girls ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

National Guidelines

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Awareness and outcomes of the fruits and veggies (FNV) campaign to promote fruit and vegetable consumption among targeted audiences in California and Virginia: a cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11055-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tessa R. Englund ◽

Valisa E. Hedrick ◽

Sofía Rincón-Gallardo Patiño ◽

Lauren E. Kennedy ◽

Kathryn W. Hosig ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Behavioral Outcomes ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Brand Awareness ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample

Abstract Background In 2015, the Partnership for a Healthier America launched the branded Fruits & Veggies (FNV) Campaign to apply a unique industry-inspired marketing approach to promote fruit and vegetable sales and intake to moms and teens in two US pilot markets: Fresno, California and Hampton Roads, Virginia. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to: 1) assess brand awareness and fruit- and vegetable-related outcomes among FNV Campaign target audiences in the California and Virginia market locations; and 2) examine whether reported awareness of the FNV Campaign was associated with differences in fruit- and vegetable-related cognitive and behavioral outcomes. Methods Data for this cross-sectional study were collected using an online survey administered to a non-probability convenience sample (n = 1604; February–July 2017) of youth aged 14–20 years (n = 744) and moms aged 21–36 years (n = 860) in the two pilot markets. Descriptive statistics were computed and outcomes compared between unaware and aware respondents, controlling for sociodemographic covariates. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was conducted to assess whether fruit- and vegetable-related attitude, belief, and encouragement outcomes differed by FNV Campaign awareness; logistic regression was used to examine associations between FNV brand awareness and dichotomous variables (fruit- and vegetable-related behavioral intentions, trying new fruits and vegetables); and ANCOVA was used to assess associations with daily fruit and vegetable intake frequency. Results Approximately 20% (n = 315/1604) of respondents reported awareness of the FNV Campaign. Youth that reported awareness of the FNV Campaign (n = 167, 22.4%) had higher intentions to buy (p = 0.003) and eat (p = 0.009) fruits and vegetables than unaware respondents. Mothers that reported awareness of the FNV Campaign (n = 148, 17.2%) reported greater encouragement for friends and family to eat fruits and vegetables (p = 0.013) and were approximately 1.5 times more likely to report trying a new fruit or vegetable (p = 0.04) than mothers unaware of the Campaign. Daily fruit and vegetable intake frequency did not differ by Campaign awareness. Conclusions FNV Campaign awareness was associated with limited but positive short- and intermediate-term cognitive and behavioral outcomes among target audience respondents. These findings can inform future research to enhance understanding and improve the FNV Campaign as it is expanded to new markets nationwide.

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Biochemical Validation of a Self-Administered Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess Diet Using Carotenoids and Vitamins E and D in Male Adolescents in Spain

Antioxidants ◽

10.3390/antiox10050750 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 750

Author(s):

Leyre Notario-Barandiaran ◽

Eva-María Navarrete-Muñoz ◽

Desirée Valera-Gran ◽

Elena Hernández-Álvarez ◽

Encarnación Donoso-Navarro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin E ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Sample Mean ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Male Adolescents ◽

Β Carotene

Reliable tools to evaluate diet are needed, particularly in life periods such as adolescence in which a rapid rate of growth and development occurs. We assessed the biochemical validity of a self-administered food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in a sample of Spanish male adolescents using carotenoids and vitamin E and D data. We analyzed data from 122 male adolescents aged 15–17 years of the INMA-Granada birth cohort study. Adolescents answered a 104-item FFQ and provided a non-fasting blood sample. Mean daily nutrient intakes and serum concentration were estimated for main carotenoids (lutein-zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, α-carotene and β-carotene), vitamins E and D and also for fruit and vegetable intake. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) and the percentage of agreement (same or adjacent quintiles) between serum vitamin concentrations and energy-adjusted intakes were estimated. Statistically significant correlation coefficients were observed for the total carotenoids (r = 0.40) and specific carotenoids, with the highest correlation observed for lutein–zeaxanthin (r = 0.42) and the lowest for β-carotene (0.23). The correlation coefficient between fruit and vegetable intake and serum carotenoids was 0.29 (higher for vegetable intake, r = 0.33 than for fruit intake, r = 0.19). Low correlations were observed for vitamin E and D. The average percentage of agreement for carotenoids was 55.8%, and lower for vitamin E and D (50% and 41%, respectively). The FFQ may be an acceptable tool for dietary assessment among male adolescents in Spain.

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