Consumption of fruits and vegetables in two European countries: Results from a survey in France and Portugal

Raquel P. F. Guiné; Sofia G. Florença; Edite Teixeira-Lemos; Maria João Lima; João Carlos Gonçalves; Raquel P. F. Guiné; Sofia G. Florença; Edite Teixeira-Lemos; Maria João Lima; João Carlos Gonçalves

doi:10.3934/agrfood.2024041

AIMS Agriculture and Food

2024, Volume 9, Issue 3: 767-788. doi: 10.3934/agrfood.2024041

Previous Article Next Article

Research article Special Issues

Consumption of fruits and vegetables in two European countries: Results from a survey in France and Portugal

CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Polytechnic University of Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal

Received: 01 April 2024 Revised: 10 June 2024 Accepted: 10 June 2024 Published: 28 June 2024

Presently, there is a huge burden on public health due to a very high incidence of chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity, among others. The modern lifestyle, with inadequate diets and insufficient physical activity, is one of the most important factors contributing to this situation. Therefore, a healthy diet can have a very positive impact on global population health. Fruits and vegetables are staple foods with a typically low caloric value that still contribute to an adequate ingestion of the necessary macro and micronutrients and bioactive compounds, with a beneficial effect on health. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge about the consumption of fruits and vegetables in two countries, Portugal and France. A questionnaire survey was carried out on a sample of 639 adult participants (382 French and 257 Portuguese). The results revealed significant differences in knowledge between countries, sexes, level of education, body mass index, satisfaction with body weight, reasons for dissatisfaction with weight, and having a chronic disease. The most influential sociodemographic variable was the country, while the most influential behavioral variable was practicing a varied diet. Factor analysis identified two factors, one accounting for items in the scale that were true, and the other accounting for false items; both factors had acceptable internal consistency. Finally, cluster analysis showed three clusters of participants: The first included individuals with high knowledge of both factors, the second included individuals with low or very low knowledge, and the third cluster included individuals with partial knowledge, who only knew about true items. These results are relevant for planning educational measures aimed at improving knowledge and thus helping to promote healthier diets.
- healthy diet,
- consumer study,
- questionnaire survey,
- factor analysis,
- cluster analysis
Citation: Raquel P. F. Guiné, Sofia G. Florença, Edite Teixeira-Lemos, Maria João Lima, João Carlos Gonçalves. Consumption of fruits and vegetables in two European countries: Results from a survey in France and Portugal[J]. AIMS Agriculture and Food, 2024, 9(3): 767-788. doi: 10.3934/agrfood.2024041

Related Papers:

Abstract

Presently, there is a huge burden on public health due to a very high incidence of chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity, among others. The modern lifestyle, with inadequate diets and insufficient physical activity, is one of the most important factors contributing to this situation. Therefore, a healthy diet can have a very positive impact on global population health. Fruits and vegetables are staple foods with a typically low caloric value that still contribute to an adequate ingestion of the necessary macro and micronutrients and bioactive compounds, with a beneficial effect on health. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge about the consumption of fruits and vegetables in two countries, Portugal and France. A questionnaire survey was carried out on a sample of 639 adult participants (382 French and 257 Portuguese). The results revealed significant differences in knowledge between countries, sexes, level of education, body mass index, satisfaction with body weight, reasons for dissatisfaction with weight, and having a chronic disease. The most influential sociodemographic variable was the country, while the most influential behavioral variable was practicing a varied diet. Factor analysis identified two factors, one accounting for items in the scale that were true, and the other accounting for false items; both factors had acceptable internal consistency. Finally, cluster analysis showed three clusters of participants: The first included individuals with high knowledge of both factors, the second included individuals with low or very low knowledge, and the third cluster included individuals with partial knowledge, who only knew about true items. These results are relevant for planning educational measures aimed at improving knowledge and thus helping to promote healthier diets.

References

[1]	Yuan L, Jiang Q, Zhai Y, et al. (2024) Association between plant-based diet and risk of chronic diseases and all-cause mortality in centenarians in China: A cohort study. Curr Dev Nutr 8: 102065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.102065 doi: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.102065
[2]	Shan Z, Li Y, Baden MY, et al. (2020) Association between healthy eating patterns and risk of cardiovascular disease. JAMA Intern Med 180: 1090–1100. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.2176 doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.2176
[3]	Turner-McGrievy GM, Wilcox S, Frongillo EA, et al. (2023) Effect of a plant-based vs omnivorous soul food diet on weight and lipid levels among African American adults: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open 6: e2250626. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.50626
[4]	Tejera-Pérez C, Sánchez-Bao A, Bellido-Guerrero D, et al. (2021) The Southern European Atlantic diet. Minerva Endocrinol (Torino) 46: 145–160. https://doi.org/10.23736/S2724-6507.20.03381-7 doi: 10.23736/S2724-6507.20.03381-7
[5]	Agostinis-Sobrinho C, Abreu S, Moreira C, et al. (2017) Muscular fitness, adherence to the Southern European Atlantic diet and cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents. Nutr, Metab Cardiovasc Dis 27: 695–702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2017.04.008 doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2017.04.008
[6]	Oliveira A, Lopes C, Rodríguez-Artalejo F (2010) Adherence to the Southern European Atlantic diet and occurrence of nonfatal acute myocardial infarction^{1 2 3}. Am J Clin Nutr 92: 211–217. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.29075 doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.29075
[7]	Carballo-Casla A, Stefler D, Ortolá R, et al. (2023) The Southern European Atlantic diet and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a European multicohort study. Eur J Prev Cardiol zwad370. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwad370
[8]	Vaz-Velho ML, Pinheiro R, Rodrigues AS (2016) The Atlantic diet—Origin and features. Int J Food Stud 5: No.1. https://doi.org/10.7455/ijfs.v5i1.299
[9]	Uliano A, Stanco M, Lerro M (2024) Perception is not reality: Uncovering the adherence to the Mediterranean diet. J Agric Food Res 16: 101200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2024.101200 doi: 10.1016/j.jafr.2024.101200
[10]	Papageorgiou M, Zinoviadour KG, Guiné RPF (2022) Mediterranean habits and patterns of consumption; interrelation with sustainability aspects. In: Betoret N, Betoret E (Eds.), Resources, Strategies and Potentialities for Food System Sustainability in the Mediterranean Area, Valencia, Spain, CEMAS/FAO, 132–152.
[11]	Serra-Majem L, Román-Viñas B, Sanchez-Villegas A, et al. (2019) Benefits of the Mediterranean diet: Epidemiological and molecular aspects. Mol Aspects Med 67: 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mam.2019.06.001 doi: 10.1016/j.mam.2019.06.001
[12]	Tomé-Rodríguez S, Barba-Palomeque F, Ledesma-Escobar CA, et al. (2023) Influence of genetic and interannual factors on the fatty acids profile of virgin olive oil. Food Chem 422: 136175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136175 doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136175
[13]	Papassotiriou I, Riza E, Benetou V, et al. (2024) Mediterranean diet and a health behavior index in relation to cardiovascular biomarkers: DATA from the health and Retirement study. Nutr, Metab Cardiovasc Dis 34: 925–934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2024.01.004 doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2024.01.004
[14]	Georgoulis M, Damigou E, Chrysohoou C, et al. (2024) Mediterranean diet trajectories and 20-year incidence of cardiovascular disease: The ATTICA cohort study (2002–2022). Nutr, Metab Cardiovasc Dis 34: 153–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2023.09.019 doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2023.09.019
[15]	Odabaş T, Odabaş O, Meseri R (2023) Impact of Mediterranean diet in lowering risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study. Medicina Clínica 162: 321–327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medcli.2023.11.010 doi: 10.1016/j.medcli.2023.11.010
[16]	Hanna AMR (2023) Solving the obesity crisis in older adults with the Mediterranean diet: Policy brief. J Nutr, Health Aging 27: 966–971. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-023-1995-9 doi: 10.1007/s12603-023-1995-9
[17]	Monllor-Tormos A, García-Vigara A, Morgan O, et al. (2023) Mediterranean diet for cancer prevention and survivorship. Maturitas 178: 107841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2023.107841 doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2023.107841
[18]	Oddo VM, Moise C, Welke L, et al. (2023) Mediterranean diet adherence and depressive symptoms among a nationally representative sample of pregnant women in the United States. J Nutr 153: 3041–3048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.08.022 doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.08.022
[19]	Abbasi H, Shakouri F, Mosaddeghi-Heris R, et al. (2023) Mediterranean-like diets in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review. Revue Neurologique. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurol.2023.07.017
[20]	Dela Cruz R, Wolfe E, Yonemori KM, et al. (2022) Consumption of traditional fruits and vegetables among children in the US-Affiliated Pacific Region. Curr Dev Nutr 6: nzac101. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzac101
[21]	Fleary SA, Joseph P, Chang H (2020) Applying the information-motivation-behavioral skills model to explain adolescents' fruits and vegetables consumption. Appetite 147: 104546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2019.104546 doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.104546
[22]	Tami S, Alshrihi R (2021) Assessment of the role of nutrition education in increasing fruits and vegetables consumption in Saudi University students. Curr Dev Nutr 5: 189. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzab035_097 doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzab035_097
[23]	Pérez-Flores AM, Muñoz-Sánchez VM, Saragoça JML, et al. (2020) Comparative analysis of consumers of organic vegetables and fruits in Spain and Portugal. Agric, Soc y Desarrollo 17: 253–276.
[24]	Guiné RPF, Florença SG, Costa DTVA, et al. (2022) Comparative study about the consumption of organic food products on samples of Portuguese and Turkish consumers under the COVID-19 pandemic context. Agronomy 12: 1385. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12061385 doi: 10.3390/agronomy12061385
[25]	Likert R (1932) A technique for the measurement of attitudes. Arch Psychol 22: 5–55.
[26]	Guiné RPF, Florença SG, Ferrão AC, et al. (2021) Factors affecting eating habits and knowledge of edible flowers in different countries. Open Agric 6: 67–81. https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2020-0208 doi: 10.1515/opag-2020-0208
[27]	Broen MPG, Moonen AJH, Kuijf ML, et al. (2015) Factor analysis of the Hamilton depression rating scale in Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 21: 142–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parkreldis.2014.11.016 doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2014.11.016
[28]	Kaiser HF, Rice J (1974) Little Jiffy, Mark Iv. Educ Psychol Meas 34: 111–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447403400115 doi: 10.1177/001316447403400115
[29]	Stevens JP (2009) Applied Multivariate Statistics for the Social Sciences, 5^th Edition, New York, Routledge.
[30]	Rohm AJ, Swaminathan V (2004) A typology of online shoppers based on shopping motivations. J Bus Res 57: 748–757. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(02)00351-X doi: 10.1016/S0148-2963(02)00351-X
[31]	Tanaka K, Akechi T, Okuyama T, et al. (2000) Development and validation of the Cancer Dyspnoea Scale: a multidimensional, brief, self-rating scale. Br J Cancer 82: 800–805. https://doi.org/10.1054/bjoc.1999.1002 doi: 10.1054/bjoc.1999.1002
[32]	Hair JFH, Black WC, Babin BJ, et al. (2009) Multivariate Data Analysis, s.l., Prentice Hall.
[33]	Maroco J, Garcia-Marques T (2006) Qual a fiabilidade do alfa de Cronbach? Questõ es antigas e soluçõ es modernas?
[34]	Davis FB (1964) Educational Measurements Their Interpretation, USA, Wadsworth Pub. Co.
[35]	Dolnicar S (2002) A review of data-driven market segmentation in tourism. Faculty of Commerce-Papers 12: 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1300/J073v12n01_01 doi: 10.1300/J073v12n01_01
[36]	Ferrão AC, Guiné RPF, Correia PMR (2019) Study of consumer acceptance about the possible commercialization of a cheese with berries. Curr Nutr Food Sci 15: 185–195. https://doi.org/10.2174/1573401313666170707103933 doi: 10.2174/1573401313666170707103933
[37]	Dominguez LJ, Veronese N, Di Bella G, et al. (2023) Mediterranean diet in the management and prevention of obesity. Exp Gerontol 174: 112121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2023.112121 doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2023.112121
[38]	Garcia M, Bihuniak J, Shook J, et al. (2016) The effect of the traditional Mediterranean-style diet on metabolic risk factors: A meta-analysis. Nutrients 8: 168. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8030168 doi: 10.3390/nu8030168
[39]	Murray CJL, Aravkin AY, Zheng P, et al. (2020) Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet 396: 1223–1249. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30752-2 doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30752-2
[40]	Schwingshackl L, Schwedhelm C, Galbete C, et al. (2017) Adherence to Mediterranean diet and risk of cancer: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients 9: 1063. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9101063 doi: 10.3390/nu9101063
[41]	Keller I, Tukuitonga C (2007) The WHO/FAO fruit and vegetable promotion initiative. ISHS Acta Hortic 744: 27–37. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.744.1 doi: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.744.1
[42]	Mahan LK, Raymond JL (2017) Krause's food & the nutrition care process. 14th ed., Elsevier Inc.: St. Louis, MO, USA, 257–260.
[43]	Lichtenstein AH, Appel LJ, Vadiveloo M, et al. (2021) 2021 Dietary guidance to improve cardiovascular health: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 144: e472–e487. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001031 doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001031
[44]	Frehner A, Zanten HHEV, Schader C, et al. (2021) How food choices link sociodemographic and lifestyle factors with sustainability impacts. J Cleaner Prod 300: 126896. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126896 doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126896
[45]	Sultanbawa Y, Sivakumar D (2022) Enhanced nutritional and phytochemical profiles of selected underutilized fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Curr Opin Food Sci 46: 100853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2022.100853 doi: 10.1016/j.cofs.2022.100853
[46]	Pelau C, Sarbu R, Serban D (2020) Cultural influences on fruit and vegetable food-wasting behavior in the European Union. Sustainability 12: 9685. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229685 doi: 10.3390/su12229685
[47]	De Andrade JC, Galvan D, Kato LS, et al. (2023) Consumption of fruits and vegetables contaminated with pesticide residues in Brazil: A systematic review with health risk assessment. Chemosphere 322: 138244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138244 doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138244
[48]	Fruit and vegetables—your dietary essentials (2020) FAO.
[49]	Colabianchi N, Antonakos CL, Coulton CJ, et al. (2021) The role of the built environment, food prices and neighborhood poverty in fruit and vegetable consumption: An instrumental variable analysis of the moving to opportunity experiment. Health Place 67: 102491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102491 doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102491
[50]	Powell LM, Zhao Z, Wang Y (2009) Food prices and fruit and vegetable consumption among young American adults. Health Place 15: 1064–1070. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2009.05.002 doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2009.05.002
[51]	Ye T, Mattila AS (2022) The impact of environmental messages on consumer responses to plant-based meat: Does language style matter? Int J Hospitality Manage 107: 103298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103298 doi: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103298
[52]	Suhartanto D, Kartikasari A, Arsawan IWE, et al. (2022) Driving youngsters to be green: The case of plant-based food consumption in Indonesia. J Cleaner Prod 380: 135061. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135061 doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135061
[53]	Marcus JB (2013) Nutrition Basics: What is inside food, How it functions and healthy guidelines, Culinary Nutrition, Elsevier, 1–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-391882-6.00001-7
[54]	World Health Organization (2013) Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2020, Geneva, World Health Organization.
[55]	Lopes C, Torres D, Oliveira A, et al. (2018) National food, nutrition, and physical activity survey of the Portuguese general population (2015–2016): Protocol for design and development. JMIR Res Protoc 7: e42. https://doi.org/10.2196/resprot.8990
[56]	Delamaire C, Escalon H, Noirot L (2019) Recommendations concerning diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour for adults, Saint-Maurice, France, Santé Publique France.
[57]	Torres MJ, Salanave B, Verdot C, et al. (2019) Adéquation aux Nouvelles Recommandations Alimentaires des Adultes Âgés de 18 à 54 Ans Vivant en France (Étude Esteban 2014–2016. Volet Nutrition—Surveillance épidémiologique), Saint-Maurice, France, Santé Publique France.

Reader Comments

Your name:*

Email:*
© 2024 the Author(s), licensee AIMS Press. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)