The fruit and vegetable intake of young Australian adults: a population perspective

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveTo examine intakes and variety of fruit and vegetables consumed by Australian young adults, also assessing differences by meal occasion and sociodemographic characteristics.DesignSecondary analysis of cross-sectional 24 h recall data collected through the 2011–12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. Crude means and proportions consuming fruits and vegetables were calculated. Pearsonχ2tests, Kruskal–Wallis analyses and linear regression models were used to assess differences in mean intakes by age, BMI and sociodemographic variables. The variety eaten was determined based on the number of fruit and vegetable subgroups consumed.SettingRepresentative sample of metropolitan and rural areas across Australia.SubjectsRespondents aged 18–34 years were included (n2397).ResultsMean daily intake of fruit (128 g/0·9 servings) and vegetables (205 g/2·7 servings) was lower than the minimum recommended intake set at 2 and 5 servings, respectively. Age was positively associated with fruit and vegetable intake (P=0·002,P<0·001), with 18–24-year-olds reporting the poorest vegetable variety compared with 25–29- and 30–34-year-olds (P=0·002). When controlling for total energy, males consumed less vegetables than females (P=0·002). A large proportion of the 15 % of respondents who consumed adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables on the day prior to the survey reported intake across all meal occasions (P<0·001).ConclusionsFruit and vegetable intake is suboptimal among Australian young adults. An age-appropriate campaign is recommended to target increased consumption, particularly for those aged 18–24 years, with opportunity to promote increased variety and consumption across the day.