Psychosocial Determinants of Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Japanese Adolescents: A School-Based Study in Japan

Yoshiko Sato, Masamitsu Miyanaga and Da-Hong Wang

A cross-sectional study through a questionnaire survey was conducted at junior and senior high schools, and 933 students completed the questionnaire. The findings demonstrated 2.7% of participants were aware of the current recommendations for vegetable and 2.0% for fruit. Only 4% and 8.1% of participants reported they consumed recommended amount of vegetables and fruits. In comparison with males, females showed higher scores of attitude
(p < 0.01), responsibility (p < 0.01), and social support (p < 0.01). The barriers to vegetable intake were “I’m eating enough now”, “not always available when eating away from home”; the barriers to fruit intake were “don’t have a habit of having 100% juice or fruit in the morning”, and “cost too much”. The findings suggest the change of adolescents’ knowledge about what they should eat is needed in boosting F&V consumption. The development of an intervention program for adolescents needs to target socio-environmental factors such as family support, and nutritional education for early healthy habit formation.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health

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5550

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