Fruit consumption, its determinants and attitudes among undergraduates

Abstract

Fruits, being a good source of nutrients, can be used to fulfil the daily requirement of nutrients. However, the statistics of Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization state that the worldwide per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables is estimated to be less than 20 to 50 percent of the minimum daily recommended intake. The health and well-being of the future generation of a country are critical in preventing malnutrition and chronic diseases. A study was carried out to find out the daily intake of fruits, barriers for consumption and other patterns in consumption among undergraduates. Moreover, the study focused on identifying knowledge on nutrition and opinions of undergraduates on fruit production. 50 students from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka were randomly selected and given a self- administered questionnaire. The daily intake of a majority of students existed between 50-100g and most consumed fruits in fresh form. Unavailability in the market or the limited access was the major barrier for the intake of sufficient amount of fruits. The study concluded that the daily intake of fruits of undergraduates is less than the recommended level. Extension services and constant market prices can overcome the problems in fruit production.