Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Life Sciences, Kuwait University, Alshdadiyah, Kuwait.
J Environ Public Health. 2021 Jul 9;2021:9920270. doi: 10.1155/2021/9920270. eCollection 2021.
Data on fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption and barriers to their intake by Kuwait college students are needed for health promotional activities to curtail obesity and related comorbidities prevalent in Kuwait. This study employed a cross-sectional survey aimed at assessing the median F/V intake in a sample of Kuwait University students to determine its relationship with gender, body weight, college affiliation, and family monthly income and to explore perceived barriers to eating F/V. The median total F/V intake was 2.06, and the median intake of F/V without fries was even lower. Significant gender differences were found in intakes of fruit juice and the percentage of juice from fruit intake, with males consuming more servings per day compared to females. Male students were found to consume proportionately more fried potatoes of total vegetable intake when compared to females, whereas female students were found to consume more vegetables without fries than males. Taste, inconvenience, and lack of knowledge on F/V intake recommendations and preparation methods were among the main barriers to consuming more F/V. College students require encouragement to consume more F/V through targeted campaigns to increase awareness of recommendations, health benefits, and ways to incorporate F/V in their daily diet.
需要有关科威特大学生水果和蔬菜（F/V）消费以及摄入障碍的数据，以便开展健康促进活动，遏制肥胖和相关合并症在科威特的流行。本研究采用横断面调查，旨在评估科威特大学学生样本中的 F/V 中位数摄入量，以确定其与性别、体重、学院隶属关系和家庭月收入的关系，并探讨对食用 F/V 的感知障碍。F/V 的总中位数摄入量为 2.06，而不含薯条的 F/V 摄入量中位数甚至更低。在果汁摄入量和水果汁百分比方面，发现了显著的性别差异，男性每天摄入的份量比女性多。与女性相比，男性学生摄入的薯条占总蔬菜摄入量的比例更高，而女性学生摄入的无薯条蔬菜比男性多。味道、不便、缺乏关于 F/V 摄入量建议和准备方法的知识是食用更多 F/V 的主要障碍。需要鼓励大学生通过有针对性的运动来消费更多的 F/V，以提高对建议、健康益处以及将 F/V 纳入日常饮食的方法的认识。
