Patterns of fruit and vegetable consumption among Iranian adults: a SuRFNCD-2007 study.
The aim of the present study was to describe the patterns of fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake in a nationally representative sample of the Iranian population. The data collected in the Third National Surveillance of Risk Factors of Non-communicable Diseases (SuRFNCD-2007) were used. In a sample of 3702 Iranian adult participants, patterns of F&V consumption were assessed using the WHO STEPwise method. Low F&V consumption was defined as intake of less than five servings of fruit and/or vegetable daily according to the WHO guidelines. F&V consumption was compared among different age groups, sex and urban/rural areas using complex sample analysis. On average, 1·26 servings of fruit and 1·32 servings of vegetables were consumed daily. Taken together, Iranian adults consumed 2·58 F&V servings per d, with females eating more than males (P ≤ 0·001). Moreover, there was a trend towards lower consumption rates in older-age categories (P = 0·003). Prevalence of low F&V intake (less than five servings daily) was 87·5 % and also tended to be higher in older-age categories (P = 0·004). Prevalence of low intake did not differ significantly among men and women or urban and rural areas. A high prevalence of low F&V consumption in the Iranian adult population was documented. These findings may guide health policy makers in developing specific plans to encourage adequate F&V intake.
School of Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Vali-Asr Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. esteghamati@tums.ac.ir
Alireza
A
Esteghamati
Sina
S
Noshad
Arash
A
Nazeri
Omid
O
Khalilzadeh
Mohammad
M
Khalili
Manouchehr
M
Nakhjavani
D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D014675:Vegetables