Age and sex are not predictors of fruit and vegetable consumption in children
Caitlyn Dempsey, Lindsey Leighton, Elizabeth Massey, Amanda Rosenberg
Dietetic Internship Graduate Programs in Human Nutrition, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR Background 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day are recommended for children between 5-18 years of age. Driskell, et al (2008) found a decrease in F/V consumption between elementary and middle school aged children. Lytle, et al (2000) found that elementary school aged children did not meet recommended F/V intake and that by middle school, children did not comsume any F/V.
Students participating in the National School Lunch Program are twice as likely to eat more fruits and vegetables (F/V) 3 . Participants 1,336 students between the ages of 5-18 years old Participated in various Lets Get Healthy! fairs across Oregon and surrounding areas.
Exclusion Criteria Outside of the age range of 5-18 years old Reporting more than fifteen servings of fruit or vegetables a day Did not participate in the diet analysis station. Dietary Analysis Station Daily F/V consumption was determined through a dietary analysis station using the NHANES 2009-2010 dietary screening questionnaire.
Conclusions Results The mean F/V intake of all age groups was below the recommendations. To address the poor intake of F/V by children and adolescents: Fruit and vegetable nutrition education is necessary for all age groups and both sexes Further investigation is necessary to find out the barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption for all ages groups 1 2 543 793 Sex Males Females Servings/Day of F/V Age groups (Years) Table 4: Recommended Daily Fruit and Vegetable Intake* Girls Boys Average Intake of participants 5-8 yo 3 3 2.13 9-13 yo 3.5 4 2.52 14-18 yo 4 5 2.39 ** Servings per day (1 cup raw, 1/2 cup cooked) * According to the USDA, MyPlate Age Groups All Ages Mean(SD) Males Mean(SD) Females Mean (SD) 5-10yo 2.1 +/- 1.1 2.0 +/- 0.7 2.2 +/- 1.4 11-14yo 2.5 +/- 1.7 3.0 +/- 2.1 2.5 +/- 1.7 15-18yo 2.4 +/- 1.5 3.2 +/- 2.2 2.4 +/- 1.5 All Ages Males Between Ages Females Between Ages P-value 0.25 0.08 0.46 ** Statistically significant difference(s) between age group(s) (P=0.05) Table 1: Mean +/- SD F/V Intake of Participants Mean intake of all age groups was below the recommend daily servings Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to determine differences in mean F/V intake among: All participants across age groups Among males across age groups Among females across age groups
T-tests were used to determine differences in mean F/V intake between males and females overall and in each age group: 5-10 years of age 11-14 years of age 15-18 years of age Statistical Analysis There was no statistical difference in mean F/V consumption between: - Children ages 5-10yo, 11-14yo, and 15-18yo - Males and females between age groups -Males and females References 1. Driskell MM, et al. MHBC. 2008; 46:209-2015. 2. Lytle LA, et al. Am J Health Promot. 2000; 14:222-228. 3. Hakim SM, et al. JHCPU. 2013; 24:145-157. doi: 10.1353/hpu.2013.0109.