Relationship between perception of emotional home atmosphere and fruit and vegetable consumption

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Abstract Objective Consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) among adolescents falls below recommendations in many Western countries. The impact of socio and emotional aspects of family life on adolescent dietary behavior may contribute to this, yet remains under-investigated. This study examines the association between adolescents’ perceptions of emotional home atmosphere (EHA) and their FV consumption frequency. Design A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess FV consumption frequency. EHA was assessed by an eight item measure with three subscales: perceived home warmth, strictness and relational tension. EHA subscales were used as binary variables: a score equal to or above the median value was considered as a higher perception while a score below the median was considered as a lower perception of the EHA in question. Country differences in meeting the European 5/day recommendations are described. Further, the association between EHA and FV consumption frequency is investigated using multiple linear regression. Setting: Regional examination centers in eight European countries. Subjects: 3196 adolescents aged 12-18 years. Results The mean FV consumption frequency was 3.27(SD = 2.84) times/day. Only 16.1% of boys and 18% of girls in our study sample met the recommendation of 5 times/day. After controlling for age, sex, education level of the parents and country of origin, perceived home warmth was associated with a 16% higher FV consumption frequency (P < 0.001; 95% CI 9- 22). Conclusions FV consumption frequency was suboptimal in the survey areas. Interventions targeting perceived warmth as a component of EHA could potentially have a positive effect on adolescents’ dietary behavior. Key messages The home atmosphere may be an important driver of fruit and vegetable consumption. Fruit and vegetable consumption is often suboptimal and efforts should be made to target adolescent consumption behaviors.