Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Nutrients

Volume

12

Issue

12

First Page

1

Last Page

17

PubMed ID

33255798

Publisher

MDPI

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences / Institute for Nutrition Research

RAS ID

32456

Funders

Edith Cowan University - Open Access Support Scheme 2020

Comments

Hill, C. R., Blekkenhorst, L. C., Radavelli-Bagatini, S., Sim, M., Woodman, R. J., Devine, A., ... Lewis, J. R. (2020). Fruit and vegetable knowledge and intake within an Australian population: The AusDiab study. Nutrients, 12(12), article 3628. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123628

Abstract

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Understanding the relationship between fruit and vegetable knowledge (FVK) and fruit and vegetable intake (FVI) is an important consideration for improved public health and successful targeting of health promotion messaging. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between FVK and FVI in Australian adults and to identify subgroups most at risk of poor knowledge. Using data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab), we investigated associations between FVK and FVI, as well as demographic and lifestyle factors. Baseline FVK was measured using two self-reported questions. FVI was assessed using a validated, self-reported, food frequency questionnaire in 1999/00 (baseline), 2004/05, and 2011/12. Amongst the 8966 participants assessed at baseline, 24.1% had adequate, 73.0% had insufficient, and 2.9% had poor FVK. Using linear regression, those with insufficient or poor FVK reported significantly lower FVI (grams/day) compared to those with adequate FVK: baseline (coefficient (95%CI)): −67.1 (−80.0, −54.3) and −124.0 (−142.9, −105.1), respectively, whilst, at 12 years, the differences were −42.5 (−54.6, −30.5) and −94.6 (−133.8, −55.5) grams/day, respectively (all p < 0.001). Poor FVK was more likely to be reported in males, older individuals (>65 years), socio-economically disadvantaged, smokers, and those with insufficient physical activity/sedentary behavior. We demonstrate that having adequate knowledge of FVI, defined as knowing to consume fruit and vegetables several times a day for a well-balanced diet, is strongly associated with FVI, with several demographic and lifestyle factors predicting FVK. Health promotion messages aimed at increasing FVK should target these subgroups for maximal effect.

DOI

10.3390/nu12123628

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Download

Share

 
COinS