Factors Associated with Daily Fruit and Vegetable Intakes among Children Aged 1–5 Years in the United States

Abstract

To describe child, caregiver, and household characteristics associated with fruit and vegetable intakes among US children aged 1–5 years, we examined fruit and vegetable intakes (less than daily vs. daily) using data from the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health among children aged 1–5 years. Multiple logistic regression provided adjusted odds ratios for factors associated with (1) daily fruit and (2) daily vegetable intakes. Among children aged 1–5 years, 68% (n = 11,124) consumed fruit daily, and 51% (n = 8292) consumed vegetables daily. Both daily fruit and daily vegetable intake were associated with child age, child race and ethnicity, and frequency of family meals. For example, children who ate a family meal 4–6 days/week (aOR 0.69; 95% CI 0.57, 0.83) or 0–3 days/week (aOR 0.57; 95% CI 0.46, 0.72) were less likely to consume fruit daily compared to children who had a family meal every day. Participation in food assistance programs, food insufficiency, and household income were not significantly associated with odds of daily fruit or daily vegetable intake in the adjusted models. Several factors were associated with daily fruit and vegetable intake among children aged 1–5. Strategies aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in early childhood may consider these child, caregiver, and household characteristics. Pediatric healthcare providers, early childhood education centers, and families of young children may be important partners in this work.