The consumption of fruit and vegetables has been associated with a decreased risk of several forms of cancer and a reduced risk of obesity. Many children in the US do not consume five servings of fruit and vegetables a day and studies have shown a relatively small variance in consumption behaviour. An improved understanding of factors influencing fruit and vegetable consumption in youth would help in designing intervention programmes.

Pyschological theories can help understand behaviour by identifying key mediators that could be subsequently manipulated in a dietary intervention. In particular, social cognitive theory (SCT) has been widely used to design youth fruit and vegetable interventions. A key aspect of SCT is reciprocal determinism, in which patterns of behaviour are dynamic, influenced by both characteristics and beliefs of the individual and the behavioural environment.

Fruit and vegetable self-efficacy, describing the perceived competence to select and eat this produce, and preferences are two psychological variables consistent with SCT that have been shown to predict fruit and vegetable consumption of children and adolescents. Home availability of fruit and vegetables is a proximal environmental variable that has also consistently predicted consumption while broader environmental factors, such as access to supermarkets, may also influence consumption, directly or indirectly.

A study by Jago et al.¹ examined associations between distance to food stores and restaurants and fruit and vegetable consumption by adolecent males and the possible mediating role of psychological variables and home availability. Residing further away from a small food store was associated with increased fruit, juice and low fat vegetable consumption, and residing closer to a fast food restaurant was associated with increased high fat vegetable, fruit and juice consumption. The association between distance to a small food store and low fat vegetable consumption was partially mediated by vegetable preferences.
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¹ Jago, R; Baranowski, T; Baraonowski, JC; Cullen, KW; Thompson, D (2007). Distance to food stores and adolescent male fruit and vegetable consumption: mediation effects. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 4 (35) 10pp.

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