Author(s): Yngve, A ; Wolf, A ; Poortvliet, E ; Elmadfa, I ; Brug, J ; Ehrenblad, B ; Franchini, Bela ; Haraldsdottir, J ; Krolner, R ; Maes, L ; Perez Rodrigo, C ; Sjostrm, M ; Thorsdottir, I ; Klepp, KI
Date: 2005
Persistent ID: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/57162
Origin: Repositório Aberto da Universidade do Porto
Subject(s): Ciências da Saúde, Ciências da saúde; Health sciences, Health sciences
Background/Aims: An adequate fruit and vegetable intake provides essential nutrients and nutritive compounds and is considered an important part of a healthy lifestyle. No simple instrument has been available for the assessment of fruit and vegetable intake as well as its determinants in school-aged children applicable in different European countries. Within the Pro Children Project, such an instrument has been developed. This paper describes the cross-sectional survey in 11-year-olds in 9 countries. Methods: The cross-sectional survey used nationally, and in 2 countries regionally, representative samples of schools and classes. The questionnaires, including a precoded 24-hour recall component and a food frequency part, were completed in the classroom. Data were treated using common syntax files for portion sizes and for merging of vegetable types into four subgroups. Results: The results show that the fruit and vegetable intake in amounts and choice were highly diverse in the 9 participating countries. Vegetable intake was in general lower than fruit intake, boys consumed less fruit and vegetables than girls did. The highest total intake according to the 24-hour recall was found in Austria and Portugal, the lowest in Spain and Iceland. Conclusion:The fruit and vegetable intake in 11-year-old children was in all countries far from reaching population goals and food-based dietary guidelines on national and international levels.
