Increasing vegetable intakes: rationale and systematic review of published interventions

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Public Health Interventions
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• High fruit and vegetable consumption offers health benefits, but specific impacts of vegetables are increasingly recognized.
• Despite known benefits, vegetable intake remains low, with significant barriers to increasing consumption.
• Existing research highlights a distinction between fruit and vegetables regarding health impacts and consumption patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review published literature on interventions designed to increase vegetable intake as a distinct food group.
• To identify strategies employed in interventions aimed at boosting vegetable consumption.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of different intervention approaches.

Main Methods:

• Searched PubMed, PsychInfo, and Medline databases up to April 2015.
• Utilized pre-specified search terms to identify relevant studies.
• Included all studies reporting interventions to increase vegetable intake.

Main Results:

• Identified 77 studies detailing 140 interventions, with 81% conducted in children.
• Interventions focused on hedonic factors (72), environmental factors (39), cognitive factors (19), or combined strategies (10).
• 83% of interventions reported some increase in vegetable acceptance, selection, or consumption, though effects were generally small and inconsistent.

Conclusions:

• Environmental, educational, and multi-component interventions show higher success rates, but publication bias is probable.
• Long-term effects and cost-effectiveness of interventions are rarely assessed, necessitating a focus on sustained behavior change.
• Certain population groups are underrepresented in current intervention research.