School of Psychology, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia.
Appetite. 2018 Oct 1;129:49-54. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.06.033. Epub 2018 Jun 30.
The consumption of vegetables and fruit during adolescence is crucial to ensuring adequate intake of the nutrients required to meet the rapid growth that characterises this developmental period. However, significant reductions in vegetable and fruit intake during adolescence have been observed making the promotion of consumption an important health promotion challenge. To monitor progress in this population segment toward meeting recommended intake levels and identifying at-risk groups, the present study assessed changes in Australian adolescents' vegetable and fruit consumption over time and identified the demographic factors associated with meeting recommendations. As individuals who are aware of their diet deficiencies are likely to be more receptive to healthy eating interventions, the present study also assessed adolescents' perceptions of the adequacy of their vegetable and fruit intake and identified the demographic factors associated with correctly perceiving fruit and vegetable intake to be inadequate. Two cross-sectional samples of Western Australian secondary school students aged 12-17 years were surveyed in 2009-2010 (n = 1501) and 2012-2013 (n = 1406). Only 14% of students at Wave 1 and 13% at Wave 2 met the recommended guidelines for vegetable intake while 68% and 71% met the guidelines for fruit intake. Females had significantly greater odds of failing to meet guidelines for vegetable intake than males. Only 50% of students correctly identified their vegetable and fruit intake to be inadequate. The observed very low levels of compliance with vegetable intake recommendations suggest that addressing deficiencies in vegetable consumption should be a primary focus of future nutrition interventions. Efforts should also be made to increase adolescents' perceptions of the inadequacy of their intake to optimise the effectiveness of schemes designed to improve vegetable and fruit consumption in this population segment.
青少年时期摄入蔬菜和水果对于确保摄入足够的营养以满足这一发育阶段的快速生长至关重要。然而，青少年蔬菜和水果摄入量的显著减少使得促进消费成为一个重要的健康促进挑战。为了监测这一人群在达到推荐摄入量方面的进展，并确定高风险群体，本研究评估了澳大利亚青少年蔬菜和水果摄入量随时间的变化，并确定了与符合建议相关的人口统计学因素。由于意识到自己饮食缺陷的个体更有可能接受健康饮食干预，本研究还评估了青少年对其蔬菜和水果摄入量充足性的看法，并确定了与正确感知水果和蔬菜摄入量不足相关的人口统计学因素。本研究对 2009-2010 年（n=1501）和 2012-2013 年（n=1406）的西澳大利亚州中学学生进行了两次横断面调查。只有 14%的学生在第 1 波和 13%的学生在第 2 波达到了蔬菜摄入量的推荐指南，而 68%和 71%的学生达到了水果摄入量的指南。女性不符合蔬菜摄入量指南的可能性显著高于男性。只有 50%的学生正确识别出他们的蔬菜和水果摄入量不足。观察到蔬菜摄入量的建议遵守率非常低，这表明解决蔬菜消费不足应成为未来营养干预的主要重点。还应努力增加青少年对其摄入量不足的认识，以优化旨在改善这一人群蔬菜和水果消费的计划的有效性。
