Mass media nutrition information sources and associations with fruit and vegetable consumption among adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the present study was to examine associations between exposure to nutrition information as covered in mass media and daily fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption among adolescents.


METHODS
Cross-sectional nutrition survey.


METHODS
Vocational schools in Vienna, Austria.


METHODS
A sample of 2949 ethnically diverse adolescents with mean age 17.3 (sd 1.7) years. An FFQ was used to assess usual FV consumption. Data on mass media exposure and sociodemographic characteristics were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to control for potentially confounding variables.


RESULTS
Adolescents who reported exposure to nutrition information provided by booklets, the Internet or newspaper articles were more likely to eat FV daily. For example, the OR for daily fruit consumption (ORfru) was 1.6 (P < 0.001) when exposure to the Internet was reported after adjustment for age, gender, ethnicity, BMI and salary. No such associations were found for radio, television and magazines as sources of nutrition information. A negative impact on daily FV consumption was found for exposure to radio commercials (ORfru = 0.74, P = 0.04 and ORveg = 0.67, P = 0.03). Exposure to TV commercials had a negative impact on vegetable consumption (ORveg = 0.81, P = 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Newspaper articles, the Internet and booklets as a source of nutrition information are positively associated with daily FV consumption among adolescents, whereas radio commercials have a negative impact. Dissemination of 'healthy eating' slogans should make use of print media and the Internet.
Freisling
Heinz
H
Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria. heinz.freisling@univie.ac.at
Haas
Karin
K
Elmadfa
Ibrahim
I
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D001317:Austria; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D009524:Newspapers as Topic; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D011845:Radio; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013690:Television; D014675:Vegetables; D055815:Young Adult