Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in High School Students in Bandar Abbas, Iran: An Application of the...

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is of a great importance, especially to adolescents due to their need for nutrients and their rapid growth. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between decisional balance and self-efficacy with stages of change for fruit and vegetable consumption in high school students in Bandar Abbas, Iran.

In this descriptive-analytical study, data were collected from 345 students studying in eight high schools of Bandar Abbas who were selected through multistage sampling. To collect data, separate questionnaires were designed for evaluating each of the variables, including the stages of change, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy of fruit and vegetable consumption. Decisional balance was estimated by subtracting the perceived benefits and barriers. The data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA using SPSS 19.

The results of this study indicated that the individuals' progress along the stages of change from pre-contemplation to maintenance level was associated with a significant increase in their decisional balance and self-efficacy for fruit and vegetable consumption (P < 0.001). The lowest level of decisional balance and self-efficacy regarding fruit showed up in the pre-contemplation stage, and the highest level of decisional balance and self-efficacy was in the maintenance stage. Similar trends were observed for vegetable consumption.

Decisional balance and self-efficacy should be considered in designing interventions to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables. There needs to be more emphasis on educational programs based on the Trans-theoretical Model (TTM) for the enhancement of perceived benefits and elimination of perceived barriers regarding consumption of fruits and vegetables.