Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T02:33:04.471Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Take Five, a nutrition education intervention to increase fruit and vegetable intakes: impact on consumer choice and nutrient intakes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

David N. Cox ,
Annie S. Anderson ,
Joanna Reynolds ,
Susan McKellar ,
Michael E. J. Lean  and
David J. Mela
David N. Cox*
Affiliation:
Consumer Sciences Department, Institute of Food Research, Reading RG6 6BZ, UK
Annie S. Anderson
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G31 2ER, UK
Joanna Reynolds
Affiliation:
Consumer Sciences Department, Institute of Food Research, Reading RG6 6BZ, UK
Susan McKellar
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G31 2ER, UK
Michael E. J. Lean
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G31 2ER, UK
David J. Mela
Affiliation:
Consumer Sciences Department, Institute of Food Research, Reading RG6 6BZ, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Dr David N. Cox, fax +44 (0) 118 9267917, email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This study reports results from a randomized controlled intervention trial, focusing on: (1) the identification of successful consumer strategies for increasing fruit and vegetable intakes to the recommended levels of more than five (80 g) portions per day and (2) impact on overall diet and nutrient intakes. Adult men and women (n 170) fulfilling the main recruitment criterion of eating less than five fruit and vegetable portions per day but contemplating increasing intakes were recruited. Complete valid dietary data was provided by 101 intervention (fifty-nine estimated fruit and vegetable intakes, and forty-two simultaneous weighed total dietary and estimated fruit and vegetable intakes) and twenty-four control subjects (weighed total dietary intakes). Intervention advice included the specific association of high fruit and vegetable intake with reduced risk of disease, practicalities, and portion definition with a target intake of greater than five 80 g fruit and vegetable portions per day for 8 weeks. There were significant effects (P < 0·001) on weighed intakes of fruit and vegetables in the intervention group, rising from 324 (se 25) to 557 (se 31) g/d and reflected by validated portion measures at 8 weeks intervention. Successful strategies chosen by ‘achievers’ of the target intake (65% of subjects) were conventional (fruit as a snack, vegetables with main meals etc.) and favoured fruit. There were significant increases in percentage energy from carbohydrate (from sugars not starch), vitamin C, carotenes and NSP and there was a significant decrease in percentage energy from fat for subjects who had high fat intakes (> 35% energy) at baseline. Follow-up self-reported measures at 6 and 12 months indicated mean intakes of 4·5 and 4·6 defined portions/d respectively, suggesting some sustainable effect. In conclusion, the intervention led to significant increases in fruit and vegetable intakes largely via conventional eating habits, with some desirable effects on macro- and micronutrient intakes.

Keywords

Fruit and VegetablesConsumer choiceNutrient intakeNutritional intervention
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 80 , Issue 2 , February 1998 , pp. 123 - 131
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1998

References

Anderson, AS, Cox, DN, McKellar, S, Reynolds, J, Mela, DJ & Lean, MEJ (1998) Take Five, a nutrition education intervention to increase fruit and vegetable intakes: impact on attitudes towards dietary change. British Journal of Nutrition 80, 133–140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anderson, AS, Hunt, K, Ford, G & Finnigan, F (1994a) One apple a day? – fruit and vegetable intakes in the West of Scotland. Health Education Research 9, 297–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, AS, Lean, MEJ, Foster, A & Marshall, D (1994b) Ripe for change: fruit and vegetables in Scotland – current patterns and potential for change. Health Bulletin 52, 51–64.Google Scholar
Bergstrom, ILM (1996) Are we measuring what we intend to measure? Different techniques of food preparation and cooking: implications for dietary surveys. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 55, 671–678.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bibby, BG (1983) Fruits and vegetables and dental caries. Clinical and Preventative Dentistry 5, 3–11.Google Scholar
Burt, BA & Ismail, AI (1986) Diet, nutrition and food cariogenicity. Journal of Dental Research 65, 1475–1484.Google Scholar
Butler, BA, Wing, RR & Shiffman, S (1996) Effect of the number of high-fat and low-fat cues on food choice. International Journal of Behavioural Medicine 3, 42–54.Google ScholarPubMed
Cannon, G (1991) Food and Health: The Experts Agree. London: Consumers Association.Google Scholar
Cox, DN, Anderson, AS, Lean, MEJ & Mela, DJ (1998) UK consumer attitudes, beliefs and barriers to increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. Public Health Nutrition 1, 61–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cox, DN, Anderson, AS, McKellar, S, Reynolds, J, Mela, DJ & Lean, MEJ (1997) Measuring fruit and vegetable intakes: is Five-a-Day enough? European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 51, 177–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curry, SJ, Kristal, AR & Bowen, DJ (1992) An application of the stages model of dietary fat reduction. Health Education Research 7, 120–126.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dennison, BA (1996) Fruit juice consumption by infants and children – a review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 15, Suppl., S4–S11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Department of Health (1991) Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom. London: HM Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Eddington, J, Thorogood, M, Geekie, M, Ball, M & Mann, J (1989) Assessment of nutritional intake using dietary record with estimated weight. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 61, 407–414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gillman, MW (1996) Enjoy your fruits and vegetables. British Medical Journal 313, 765–766.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glanz, K, Patterson, RE, Kristal, AR, DiClemente, CC, Heimendinger, J, Linnan, L & McLerran, DF (1994) Stages of change in adopting healthy diets: fat, fiber and correlates of nutrient intake. Health Education Quarterly 21, 499–519.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goldberg, GR, Black, AE, Jebb, SA, Cole, TJ, Murgatroyd, PR, Coward, WA & Prentice, AM (1991) Critical evaluation of energy intake data using fundamental principles of energy physiology: 1. Derivation of cut-off limits to identify under-recording. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 45, 569–581.Google ScholarPubMed
Havas, S, Heimendinger, J, Damron, D, Nicklas, TA, Cowan, A, Beresford, SAA, Sorenson, G, Buller, D, Bishop, D, Baranowski, T & Reynolds, K (1995) 5 a day for better health–nine community research projects to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Public Health Reports 110, 68–79.Google Scholar
Health Education Authority (1992) Enjoy Fruit and Vegetables. London: Health Education Authority.Google Scholar
Holland, B, Unwin, ID & Buss, DH (1991) Vegetables, Herbs and Spices. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry/Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holland, B, Unwin, ID & Buss, DH (1992) Fruit and Nuts. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry/Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kant, AK, Block, G, Schatzkin, A & Nestle, M (1992) Association of fruit and vegetable intake with dietary fat intake. Nutrition Research 12, 1441–1454.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Key, TJA, Thorogood, M, Appleby, PN & Burr, MI (1996) Dietary habits and mortality in 11 000 vegetarians and health conscious people: results of a 17 year follow up. British Medical Journal 313, 775–779.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kilcast, D, Cathro, J & Morris, L (1996) Practical approaches to increasing vegetable consumption. Nutrition and Food Science 5, 48–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mela, DJ & Aaron, JI (1997) ‘Honest but invalid’: What the subjects say about recording their food intake. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 97, 791–793.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (1997) National Food Survey 1996. London: HM Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Nestle, M (1996) Fruits and vegetables: protective or just fellow travellers? Nutrition Reviews 54, 255–257.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (1991) Appendix A. Allocation of standard classification occupational unit groups to social classes and socio-economic groups. In Standard Occupational Classification 1991. London: HM Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Patterson, RE, Kristal, AR & White, E (1996) Do beliefs, knowledge, and perceived norms about diet and cancer predict dietary change? American Journal of Public Health 86, 1394–1400.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prochaska, JO & DiClemente, CC (1984) The Transtheoretical Approach: Crossing Traditional Boundaries of Change. Home-wood, IL: Dow Jones/Irwin.Google Scholar
Serdula, MK, Coates, RJ, Byers, T, Simoes, E, Mokdad, AH & Subar, AF (1995) Fruit and vegetable intake among adults in 16 states: results from a brief telephone survey. American Journal of Public Health 85, 236–239.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Steptoe, A, Wijetunge, S, Doherty, S & Wardle, J (1996) Stages of change for dietary fat reduction: associations with food intake, decisional balance and motives for food choice. Health Education Journal 55, 108–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, C (1995) Healthy eating: clarifying advice on fruit and vegetable consumption. British Medical Journal 310, 1453–1455.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Cancer Research Fund (undated) Dietary Guidelines to Lower Your Cancer Risk. London: World Cancer Research Fund.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1990) Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Disease. Technical Report Series no. 797. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Zino, S, Skeaff, M, Williams, S & Mann, J (1997) Randomised controlled trial of effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on plasma concentrations of lipids and anti-oxidants. British Medical Journal 314, 1787–1791.CrossRefGoogle Scholar