Demographic Relationships to Students' Fruit and Vegetable Intake

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Public Health
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Inadequate fruit and vegetable (FV) intake is a persistent issue among adolescents.
• Existing research often relies on self-reported data, potentially introducing bias.
• Understanding demographic influences on objective FV consumption is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between student demographic characteristics and objectively measured fresh FV selection, consumption, and waste during school lunch.
• To explore potential interactions between demographic factors, such as socioeconomic status (SES) and sex, on FV intake.

Main Methods:

• Objective measurement of fresh FV selected and wasted (in grams) among 294 middle school students across 3 schools.
• Statistical analysis using school-cluster adjusted regressions to examine demographic associations.
• Exploration of two-way interactions between demographic variables.

Main Results:

• No significant overall differences in FV selection, consumption, or waste were found based on student demographics.
• A significant interaction effect was observed between free/reduced-price lunch status (SES) and student sex on FV consumed (p = .01).
• Specific consumption patterns revealed: girls eligible for free/reduced-price lunch consumed less FV than their peers; conversely, boys eligible for free/reduced-price lunch consumed more FV than their peers.

Conclusions:

• Objective measures of FV intake at school lunch were not directly associated with general demographic characteristics.
• A complex interplay of sex and SES significantly influences adolescent FV consumption, contradicting previous self-reported data.
• Findings highlight the need for nuanced, sex- and SES-specific strategies to promote equitable FV intake among youth.