Determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption among 6-12-year-old children and effective interventions to increase consumption

Abstract

Purpose: To review the current literature about potential determinants of fruit and vegetable intakes and effective intervention strategies to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables among 6-12-year-old children.

Methods: A structured review of literature located in PubMed and Psychinfo electronic literature databases.

Results: Of all determinants, the availability and accessibility of fruit and vegetables and taste preferences were most consistently and most positively related to consumption. There was some evidence that parental fruit and vegetable intakes, knowledge of intake recommendations and skills had a positive association with children's intakes, whereas television viewing, exposure to television advertisement, and having a snack bar at school were associated with lower intakes of fruit and vegetables. Multi-component school-based interventions that combined classroom curriculum, parent and food service components showed the greatest promise for fruit and vegetable promotion among children. School fruit and vegetable subscription programmes, scout-based interventions, and fruit and vegetables education via computer multi-media channels also appear promising.

Conclusions: Interventions should improve the availability and accessibility of fruit and vegetables to children, and should aim to improve their taste preferences for them. Such interventions should be of a multi-component nature, school-based or use other social channels and may include multi-media channels.