Fruit and vegetable intake in a sample of 11-year-old children in 9 European countries: The Pro Children Cross-sectional Survey

TY - JOUR

T1 - Fruit and vegetable intake in a sample of 11-year-old children in 9 European countries: The Pro Children Cross-sectional Survey

AU - Yngve, Agneta

AU - Wolf, Alexandra

AU - Poortvliet, Eric

AU - Elmadfa, Ibrahim

AU - Brug, Johannes

AU - Ehrenblad, Bettina

AU - Franchini, Bela

AU - Haraldsdóttir, Jóhanna

AU - Krølner, Rikke

AU - Maes, Lea

AU - Pérez-Rodrigo, Carmen

AU - Sjostrom, Michael

AU - Thórsdóttir, Inga

AU - Klepp, Knut-Inge

N1 - Keywords: Child; Child Nutritional Physiology Phenomena; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet Surveys; Europe; Female; Fruit; Humans; Male; Mental Recall; Nutrition Assessment; Nutrition Policy; Nutritional Requirements; Questionnaires; Schools; Sex Factors; Vegetables

PY - 2005

Y1 - 2005

N2 - BACKGROUND/AIMS: An adequate fruit and vegetable intake provides essential nutrients and nutritive compounds and is considered an important part of a healthy lifestyle. No simple instrument has been available for the assessment of fruit and vegetable intake as well as its determinants in school-aged children applicable in different European countries. Within the Pro Children Project, such an instrument has been developed. This paper describes the cross-sectional survey in 11-year-olds in 9 countries. METHODS: The cross-sectional survey used nationally, and in 2 countries regionally, representative samples of schools and classes. The questionnaires, including a precoded 24-hour recall component and a food frequency part, were completed in the classroom. Data were treated using common syntax files for portion sizes and for merging of vegetable types into four subgroups. RESULTS: The results show that the fruit and vegetable intake in amounts and choice were highly diverse in the 9 participating countries. Vegetable intake was in general lower than fruit intake, boys consumed less fruit and vegetables than girls did. The highest total intake according to the 24-hour recall was found in Austria and Portugal, the lowest in Spain and Iceland. CONCLUSION: The fruit and vegetable intake in 11-year-old children was in all countries far from reaching population goals and food-based dietary guidelines on national and international levels.

AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: An adequate fruit and vegetable intake provides essential nutrients and nutritive compounds and is considered an important part of a healthy lifestyle. No simple instrument has been available for the assessment of fruit and vegetable intake as well as its determinants in school-aged children applicable in different European countries. Within the Pro Children Project, such an instrument has been developed. This paper describes the cross-sectional survey in 11-year-olds in 9 countries. METHODS: The cross-sectional survey used nationally, and in 2 countries regionally, representative samples of schools and classes. The questionnaires, including a precoded 24-hour recall component and a food frequency part, were completed in the classroom. Data were treated using common syntax files for portion sizes and for merging of vegetable types into four subgroups. RESULTS: The results show that the fruit and vegetable intake in amounts and choice were highly diverse in the 9 participating countries. Vegetable intake was in general lower than fruit intake, boys consumed less fruit and vegetables than girls did. The highest total intake according to the 24-hour recall was found in Austria and Portugal, the lowest in Spain and Iceland. CONCLUSION: The fruit and vegetable intake in 11-year-old children was in all countries far from reaching population goals and food-based dietary guidelines on national and international levels.

U2 - 10.1159/000087247

DO - 10.1159/000087247

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16088087

SN - 0250-6807

VL - 49

SP - 236

EP - 245

JO - Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism

JF - Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism

IS - 4

ER -