P87: Estimated Fruit and Vegetable Consumption of Indiana Youth is Augmented by Fruit Juice and Varies by Ethnicity

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption of Indiana youth exposed to the federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. In May 2005, data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from students aged 9-14 (n = 4,237) enrolled in 18 schools across Indiana. The survey collected student demographics and intake of fruits, vegetables, and competitive foods on the previous day. Students reported consumption in times/day. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and mean frequencies were evaluated using pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni adjustment. Total fruit and vegetable consumption frequencies were then covaried by fruit juice. Asian Americans consumed vegetables more frequently than Whites (4.8 versus 3.4 times/day; P = .007), reporting more salad (0.8 versus 0.5 times/day; P = .01) and vegetables from mixed dishes (1.0 versus 0.6 times/day; P = .007). Almost half of total fruit intake was due to fruit juice consumption (2.8 versus 1.2 times/day). African Americans (P < .001) and Hispanics (P = .002) reported drinking fruit juice more frequently than Whites (1.7 and 1.5 versus 1.2 times/day). Whites reported the lowest frequency of total fruit and vegetable consumption (P < .001), though when controlling for fruit juice (juice = covariate), both African Americans (P = .01) and Whites (p = .009) had lower frequencies of fruit and vegetable consumption than Asian Americans. Hispanics were not different from other ethnicities (P = .16, .15, and .09, respectively). No differences existed between genders or among age or grade levels. Results suggest a need for ethnic-specific interventions to improve vegetable and whole fruit but not juice consumption in Indiana youth.