Is the Perceived Fruit Accessibility Related to Fruit Intakes and Prevalence of Overweight in Disadvantaged Youth: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Few investigations have studied the relationship between home and school food environments, fruit intakes, and prevalence of overweight in children and adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds. This study aimed to determine whether food environments for fruit intake at household and school levels affect fruit intakes and risk of overweight among children and adolescents with low household income.

Methods: Students (n = 3148) in Seoul, Korea completed questionnaires pertaining to select aspects of their food environments, frequency of fruit intakes, and weight status. Chi-square tests and logistic regressions evaluated associations between the aforementioned variables.

Results: Participants consumed fruit an average of 0.77 times per day, though its frequency increased when fruit accessibility was perceived positively. The percentage of overweight participants was 23.5% for boys and 22.8% for girls. Generally, fruit intake frequency was linked to a lower prevalence of overweight. Regular provision of fruit in school lunches was associated with a reduced risk of overweight among elementary school girls (odds ratio (OR): 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.30-0.92), and having someone at home to prepare fruit was associated with a reduced risk of overweight in elementary school boys (OR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.43-0.94) and girls (OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.43-0.93).

Conclusions: The frequency of fruit intake was low among disadvantaged youth. Increasing access to fruit in their food environments appears to enhance consumption and lower the risk of overweight, especially for elementary school girls.

Keywords: adolescents; children; food environment; fruit; home; obesity; overweight; school.