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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #228208
Title: Psychosocial and demographic predictors of fruit, juice and vegetable consumption among 11-14-year-old Boy Scouts

Author
item GALLAWAY, M SHAYNE - UNIV OF TEXAS
item JAGO, RUSSELL - UNIV OF BRISTOL
item Baranowski, Thomas
item BARANOWSKI, JANICE - BAYLOR COL OF MEDICINE
item DIAMOND, PAMELA - UNIV OF TEXAS

Submitted to: Public Health Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/14/2007
Publication Date: 12/1/2007
Citation: Gallaway, M.S., Jago, R., Baranowski, T., Baranowski, J.C., Diamond, P.M. 2007. Psychosocial and demographic predictors of fruit, juice and vegetable consumption among 11-14-year-old Boy Scouts. Public Health Nutrition. 10(12):1508-1514.

Interpretive Summary: Behavior change interventions need to target mediating variables, and changes in the mediating variables change behaviors. Mediating variables come from theoretical models demonstrating some variables are highly predictive of the behavior. This paper showed that among Boy Scouts, fruit, 100% juice, and vegetable preferences (whether a child liked them), and home availability (whether they were in the home) were related to fruit, 100% juice, and vegetable consumption in complex ways. That is, as home availability increased, high preference was more closely related to consumption than low preference (as might be expected). This suggests that interventions to increase fruit, 100% juice, and vegetable consumption among Boy Scouts should encourage increased home availability and increased preference for these foods.

Technical Abstract: Psychosocial and demographic correlates of fruit, juice, and vegetable (FJV) consumption were investigated to guide how to increase FJV intake. Experimental design consisted of hierarchical multiple regression analysis of FJV consumption on demographics and psychosocial variables. Subjects were boys aged 11-14 years (n = 473) in Houston, TX. FJV preference and availability were both significant predictors of FJV consumption, controlling for demographics and clustering of Boy Scout troops. Vegetable self-efficacy was associated with vegetable consumption. The interaction of preference by home availability was a significant predictor of FJV. The interaction of self-efficacy by home availability showed a trend towards significantly predicting vegetable consumption. No significant interactions were found between body mass index and the psychosocial variables. Findings suggest that future interventions emphasising an increase in preference, availability, and efficacy may increase consumption of FJV in similar populations.