Seema Mihrshahi1,2, Rimma Myton1, Stephanie R Partridge1, Emma Esdaile1,2, Louise L Hardy1, Joanne Gale1. 1. Prevention Research Collaboration, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. 2. NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in the Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Abstract
ISSUE ADDRESSED: Intakes of fruit and vegetables in children are inadequate. Our purpose was to examine national data on the proportion of Australian children meeting the fruit and vegetable recommendations in 2011-2012 and 2014-2015, assessing changes over time and differences by age, sex and socio-economic status (SES). METHODS: Secondary analysis of 2011-2012 and 2014-2015 Australian National Health Surveys of Australian children aged 2-18 years. Percentages of children meeting fruit and vegetable recommendations by survey year, age group, sex and SES tertile were calculated using population weights supplied by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Chi-squared tests and logistic regression were used to test for the relative influence of each factor. RESULTS: In 2011-2012, 64.6%, 5.1% and 4.6% of children met the recommended intake for fruit, vegetable and fruit-vegetable combined, respectively. In 2014-2015, 68.2%, 5.3% and 5.1% of all children met the recommended intake for fruit, vegetable and fruit-vegetable combined, respectively. There was a large reduction in proportions of children meeting both the fruit and vegetable recommendations between 3 and 4 years of age, which coincides with when most Australian children start pre-school. There were consistent differences by sex for both fruit and vegetables, but we found little evidence that SES is a significant factor predicting the difference in meeting the vegetable recommendations. CONCLUSION: The proportion of Australian children meeting fruit and vegetable recommendations are sub-optimal across all SES groups which suggests that a national approach across demographic strata is warranted. SO WHAT?: Future health promotion interventions should have a refocus on vegetables instead of "fruit and vegetables," particularly in the key transition period when children start pre-school.
ISSUE ADDRESSED: Intakes of fruit and vegetables in children are inadequate. Our purpose was to examine national data on the proportion of Australian children meeting the fruit and vegetable recommendations in 2011-2012 and 2014-2015, assessing changes over time and differences by age, sex and socio-economic status (SES). METHODS: Secondary analysis of 2011-2012 and 2014-2015 Australian National Health Surveys of Australian children aged 2-18 years. Percentages of children meeting fruit and vegetable recommendations by survey year, age group, sex and SES tertile were calculated using population weights supplied by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Chi-squared tests and logistic regression were used to test for the relative influence of each factor. RESULTS: In 2011-2012, 64.6%, 5.1% and 4.6% of children met the recommended intake for fruit, vegetable and fruit-vegetable combined, respectively. In 2014-2015, 68.2%, 5.3% and 5.1% of all children met the recommended intake for fruit, vegetable and fruit-vegetable combined, respectively. There was a large reduction in proportions of children meeting both the fruit and vegetable recommendations between 3 and 4 years of age, which coincides with when most Australian children start pre-school. There were consistent differences by sex for both fruit and vegetables, but we found little evidence that SES is a significant factor predicting the difference in meeting the vegetable recommendations. CONCLUSION: The proportion of Australian children meeting fruit and vegetable recommendations are sub-optimal across all SES groups which suggests that a national approach across demographic strata is warranted. SO WHAT?: Future health promotion interventions should have a refocus on vegetables instead of "fruit and vegetables," particularly in the key transition period when children start pre-school.
Authors: Jeanette P Rapson; Pamela R von Hurst; Marion M Hetherington; Hajar Mazahery; Cathryn A Conlon Journal: Am J Clin Nutr Date: 2022-07-06 Impact factor: 8.472
Authors: Margaret M Thomas; Jessica Gugusheff; Heather J Baldwin; Joanne Gale; Sinead Boylan; Seema Mihrshahi Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-10-15 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Astrid A M Poelman; Maeva Cochet-Broch; Janne Beelen; Bonnie Wiggins; Jessica E Heffernan; David N Cox Journal: Nutrients Date: 2021-05-13 Impact factor: 5.717
Authors: Seema Mihrshahi; Stephanie R Partridge; Xiaolei Zheng; Divya Ramachandran; Debbie Chia; Sinead Boylan; Josephine Y Chau Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-06-10 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Astrid A M Poelman; Maeva Cochet-Broch; Bonnie Wiggins; Rod McCrea; Jessica E Heffernan; Janne Beelen; David N Cox Journal: Nutrients Date: 2020-08-05 Impact factor: 5.717