title: Stages of change for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among adults and young adults participating in the national 5-a-Day for Better Health community studies.
abstract: Higher fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers and chronic diseases. The 5-a-Day for Better Health community studies are evaluating population-based strategies to achieving dietary behavior change using the stages-of-change model and associated theories. The authors present baseline comparisons of stages of change for fruit and vegetable consumption among adults and young adults in eight study sites representing diverse regions of the United States and diverse populations and settings. Three dominant stages, precontemplation, preparation, and maintenance, were found across sites. Women and those with college degrees were more likely to be in action/maintenance. Fruit and vegetable consumption, self-efficacy, and knowledge of the 5-a-Day recommendation were positively associated with more advanced stages of change in all study sites. The authors discuss the findings in relation to possible limitations of this and other dietary stages-of-change measures and suggest directions for future research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7400, USA. marci_campbell@unc.edu
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Havas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Curry
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nicklas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palombo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buller
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Topor
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Beresford
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Motsinger
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morrill
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heimendinger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000193:education; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D014675:Vegetables