title: Can individual cognitions, self-regulation and environmental variables explain educational differences in vegetable consumption?: a cross-sectional study among Dutch adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Educational differences in health-related behaviors, where low- and moderate-educated individuals have poorer outcomes than high-educated individuals, are persistent. The reasons for these differences remain poorly understood. This study explored whether individual cognitions, self-regulation and environmental-level factors may explain educational differences in vegetable consumption.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,342 Dutch adults, of whom 54.5% were low/moderate-educated. Individuals completed an online questionnaire, assessing education, vegetable consumption, demographics, individual cognitions (attitude towards consuming 200 grams of vegetables a day, self-efficacy, subjective norm, intention, perception of vegetables as being expensive), self-regulation (general self-regulation, vegetable-specific action- and coping planning) and environmental-level factors (perception of availability of vegetables in the supermarket and availability of vegetables at home). The joint-significance test was used to determine significant mediation effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low/moderate-educated individuals consumed less vegetables (M = 151.2) than high-educated individuals (M = 168.1, β = -0.15, P < .001). Attitude and availability of vegetables at home were found to partially mediate the association between education and vegetable consumption (percentage mediated effect: 24.46%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since attitude and availability of vegetables at home partially explain the difference in vegetable consumption between low/moderate- and high-educated individuals, these variables may be good target points for interventions to promote vegetable consumption among low/moderate-educated individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands. linda.springvloet@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Springvloet
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 2960, 6401 DL, Heerlen, The Netherlands. lilian.lechner@ou.nl.
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lechner
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands. a.oenema@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oenema
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004522:Educational Status; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult