Abstract
Data on fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption and barriers to their intake by Kuwait college students are needed for health promotional activities to curtail obesity and related comorbidities prevalent in Kuwait. This study employed a cross-sectional survey aimed at assessing the median F/V intake in a sample of Kuwait University students to determine its relationship with gender, body weight, college affiliation, and family monthly income and to explore perceived barriers to eating F/V. The median total F/V intake was 2.06, and the median intake of F/V without fries was even lower. Significant gender differences were found in intakes of fruit juice and the percentage of juice from fruit intake, with males consuming more servings per day compared to females. Male students were found to consume proportionately more fried potatoes of total vegetable intake when compared to females, whereas female students were found to consume more vegetables without fries than males. Taste, inconvenience, and lack of knowledge on F/V intake recommendations and preparation methods were among the main barriers to consuming more F/V. College students require encouragement to consume more F/V through targeted campaigns to increase awareness of recommendations, health benefits, and ways to incorporate F/V in their daily diet.
Highlights
Fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption is correlated with many health benefits [1, 2]
Improved understanding of the daily level of F/V intake of young Kuwaitis and their patterns of consumption is required to fill the gap in the extent of knowledge needed for future health promotion efforts targeting college students. us, this study aimed to (1) validate the use of a short F/V intake screener among college students using multiple 24-hour dietary recalls (24-hour recalls) as the reference instrument; (2) assess the F/ V consumption among male and female students at Kuwait University (KU); (3) explore the relationship between body weight and the F/V consumption among college students; and (4) assess potential barriers to eating F/V among Kuwaiti college students
The median total F/V intake did not change for the total sample (2.06 with interquartile range (IQR) (1.62–2.53)), with no between-gender differences (Table 3)
Summary
Fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption is correlated with many health benefits [1, 2]. Increased F/V consumption is likely to improve the nutritional content of the diet while providing a means to offset the consumption of energy- and fat-dense foods, potentially resulting in lower overall body weight [5]. To prevent coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, most dietary guidelines recommend that adults consume at least five portions (defined as 400 g) of a variety of fruits and vegetables daily [6]. Young people are more likely to seek convenient food options, lack food preparation skills, and are more prone to consuming less than the recommended amount of F/V and more fast food and energy-dense takeaway meals [10, 11] Few people meet the dietary intake recommendation for F/V [7] partly due to the rapid proliferation of inexpensive fast food that is exacerbated by rising demand for convenience in many countries worldwide [8]. is can lead to an increase in the intake of foods rich in fats, processed carbohydrates, and salt rather than F/ V [8, 9].
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