Food safety is a key determinant of fruit and vegetable consumption in urban beninese adolescents

Auteur(s) :
Lachat CK., Verstraeten R., Nago ES.
Date :
Nov, 2011
Source(s) :
J NUTR EDUC BEHAV. #44:6 p548-555
Adresse :
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin; Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

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OBJECTIVE: To identify the determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption in urban Beninese adolescents and elements to develop a school-based fruit and vegetable program.

DESIGN: Sixteen focus groups conducted with a key word guide.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two private and 2 public secondary schools in Cotonou, Benin. One hundred fifty-three students aged 13 to 19 years, 54% girls.

ANALYSIS: The focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed. Three a priori categories from the Social Cognitive Theory were used for the coding: socioenvironmental, personal, and behavioral factors. Additionally, the data were checked to determine whether new categories should be created.

RESULTS: Major determinants in the school were availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and the competition of unhealthful foods. Food safety emerged as a strong barrier to the adolescents’ fruit and vegetable consumption outside home and particularly at school.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Except for food safety, the determinants of fruit and vegetable intake in Beninese adolescents were similar to those in high-income countries. The food safety of fruits and vegetables outside home is a key issue to be studied in detail and integrated in any intervention in Benin and potentially other low- and middle-income countries.

Source : Pubmed
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