Fruit and vegetable intake among adults living in federal district of Brazil

According to the World Health Report (2002), the mortality and morbidity from non-transmittable chronic diseases are mostly related to risk factors, among them the inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables (F&V). The food guide for the Brazilian population, issued by the Brazil’s Ministry of Health recommends the daily ingestion of 3 portions each of F&V. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of adequate consumption of F&V and the influence of socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with, among the adult population living in the Federal District (FD) of Brazil. Method: A cross sectional house hold survey of a randomly selected representative sample of adult population of FD (n = 2555). The Brazilian Ministry of Health recommendations were used to assess adequate intake of F&V. Socioeconomic and demographic variables studied were: age, education level and family income. Results: Only 11.6% (95%CI 9.5 – 13.7%) of the individuals ingested adequate amounts of F&V, without gender difference. More women consumed F&V (36.8%; CI 35.9 – 37.6) at least once daily than men (30.8%, CI 28.8 – 32.7, p < 0.001). The percentage of women consuming at least 1 daily serving of F&V increased with age, education level and family income whereas for men, the increased consumption was related to education level and income, only. The quartile analysis for adequate intake of F&V, controlling for education level, revealed that individuals in the highest quartile of family income had a higher chance for adequate F&V intake compared to the ones in the lowest quartile (OR = 1.8, CI 1.27 – 2.66, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The majority of the adults of this study do not take adequate amounts of F&V on daily basis. The results suggest the need for Brazilian government and society to intensify the policies and initiatives to promote healthy eating among adults.