Assessment of fruit and vegetable intake behavior among adolescents in hangzhou, china.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the fruit and vegetable (FV) intake of adolescents, assess factors influencing intake and discuss health education strategies related to this behavior.

METHODS: In Hangzhou, China, 861 students aged 13.68 ± 1.03 years were randomly recruited to carry out a cross-sectional, school-based survey. The design of the survey questionnaire was based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of Behavior Change. Results of the survey rated FV consumption and children’s readiness to assume healthier dietary choices. The study design incorporated the four core constructs of TTM: stages of change, processes of change, decisional balance and self-efficacy. Results were assessed by chi-square tests, analysis of variance, Tukey’s post-hoc tests and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS: Majority of the participants were in the TTM contemplation stage of change. The average number of FV servings among participants was 3.12 ± 1.41 per day. The specific process of change, number of decisional balance pros (as opposed to cons), and self-efficacy ratings were positively correlated with stage of change transition (Spearman r > 0, P  0, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The use of TTM may be a powerful personalized means of decreasing poor dietary behaviors and promoting healthy behaviors, compared to traditional methods of behavioral change.