Dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, and fat in Olmsted County, Minnesota.
OBJECTIVE
To assess self-reported dietary intake in the adult population of Olmsted County, Minnesota.


METHODS
We conducted a random-digit-dial telephone survey between March 1 and April 21, 1999, of 1232 adults residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota. We then mailed a structured questionnaire to the survey respondents and achieved a response rate of 732 individuals. Percentages of individuals and predictors of those who meet recommendations for intake of fruits and vegetables and for dietary fats were determined by using chi2 tests of general association and multivariate logistic regression.


RESULTS
Only 16% of the population of Olmsted County reported meeting standard dietary recommendations for consuming both 5 or more servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day and no more than 30% of calories from fat. Fifty-one percent of the population was meeting neither recommendation. Women were more likely than men to report meeting both goals (22% vs 8%, P<.001), but still more women were meeting neither goal than were meeting both goals (40% vs 22%, P<.001). Multivariate logistic regression revealed the following factors to predict adherence to both goals: female sex, lower body mass index, nonsmoker, history of high cholesterol, and daily physical activity.


CONCLUSIONS
Few individuals in Olmsted County are meeting national recommendations for intake of fruits, vegetables, and dietary fat. More effective interventions are needed to improve dietary habits in all subgroups of this community.
DeBoer
Stephen W
SW
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, Nutrition and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn 55905, USA. deboer.stephen@mayo.edu
Thomas
Randal J
RJ
Brekke
Mark J
MJ
Brekke
Lee N
LN
Hoffman
Rebecca S
RS
Menzel
Peggy A
PA
Aase
Lee A
LA
Hayes
Sharonne N
SN
Kottke
Thomas E
TE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone; D014675:Vegetables
D004041:Dietary Fats