title: An evaluation of fruit and vegetable consumption and cigarette smoking among youth.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research across the past 4 decades has supported a cross-sectional association between adult cigarette smoking and lower fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC), and emerging research suggests higher FVC may predict cessation. Among youth, findings are limited to a few cross-sectional studies with somewhat mixed results. Here we evaluated the FVC-smoking association among youth both cross-sectionally and longitudinally.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from a subsample of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979: Child and Young Adult. The subsample included adolescents aged 14-18 years at baseline in the year 2004. Multivariable cross-sectional analyses assessed whether baseline FVC was associated with smoking frequency among ever-smokers (n = 578). Longitudinally, the study assessed whether baseline FVC predicted smoking progression among baseline never-smokers who tried a cigarette by 4-year follow-up (n = 388). Multivariable regression models adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, parental education, and health behavior orientation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cross-sectionally, youth who consumed fruit ≥2 times per day were 53% less likely (RR = 0.47; p < .05) than those who typically did not consume fruit to be in a higher smoking frequency category. Longitudinally, the fruit consumption and smoking association was not significant (RR = 0.61; p = .282). There were no significant associations observed between vegetable consumption and smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fruit consumption, but not vegetable consumption, was inversely associated with smoking frequency cross-sectionally but not longitudinally. Further research is needed to provide information on the consistency of the FVC-smoking relationship among youth and may help to elucidate possible explanatory mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY; jphaibac@buffalo.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Haibach
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY;
authors.forename: Gregory G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Homish
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY;
authors.forename: R Lorraine
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Christine B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Ambrosone
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY;
authors.forename: Gary A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Giovino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014675:Vegetables