Factors associated with the consumption of fruits and vegetables in schoolchildren aged 7 to 14 years of Florianópolis, South of Brazil¹

Fatores associados ao consumo de frutas, legumes e verduras em escolares de 7 a 14 anos do município de Florianópolis

Objective:

To estimate the prevalence of the fruit and vegetable intake of schoolchildren aged 7 to 14 years from Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, and analyze the associated factors.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study analyzed food intake, socioeconomic, and biological data of 2,836 schoolchildren. The Chi-square test analyzed the dependent (fruit and vegetable intake) and independent variables; the latter with p-value <0.20 were selected for logistic regression analysis. The level of significance was p<0.05.

Results:

Only 4.8% of the sample had adequate fruit and vegetable intake. The variables associated with adequate fruit and vegetable intake were school ownership status (private versus public), mother's education level, and family income per member. After adjustment only family income per capita remained associated with fruit and vegetable intake.

Conclusion:

The fruit and vegetable intake of schoolchildren aged 7 to 14 years from Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, is inadequate.

Adolescent; Child; Food consumption; Fruit; Vegetables