title: Factors within the family environment such as parents' dietary habits and fruit and vegetable availability have the greatest influence on fruit and vegetable consumption by Polish children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify determinants of fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption among school-aged children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey study was conducted in October 2010. The questionnaire contained questions concerning social and demographic data, lifestyle and dietary habits, particularly the frequency of F&V consumption, availability of F&V and knowledge about recommended amounts of F&V intake.
  
  
  METHODS
  Polish primary schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children (n 1255) aged 9 years from randomly selected primary schools and their parents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The children's consumption of fruit and of vegetables was influenced by the fruit consumption and vegetable consumption of their parents (r=0·333 and r=0·273, respectively; P=0·001), parents encouraging their children to eat F&V (r=0·259 and r=0·271, respectively; P=0·001), giving children F&V to take to school (r=0·338 and r=0·321, respectively; P=0·001) and the availability of F&V at home (r=0·200 and r=0·296, respectively; P=0·001). Parental education influenced only the frequency of fruit consumption (r=0·074; P=0·01). A correlation between parents' knowledge of the recommended intakes and the frequency of vegetable and fruit consumption by children was noticed (r=0·258 and r=0·192, respectively, P=0·001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Factors within the family environment such as parents' dietary habits and F&V availability had the greatest influence on the F&V consumption by children. Educational activities aimed at parents are crucial to increase the consumption of F&V among children.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Nutrition and Dietetic with Clinic of Metabolic Diseases and Gastroenterology,Division of School Nutrition,National Food and Nutrition Institute,ul. Powsińska 61/63,02-903 Warsaw,Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wolnicka
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Nutrition and Dietetic with Clinic of Metabolic Diseases and Gastroenterology,Division of School Nutrition,National Food and Nutrition Institute,ul. Powsińska 61/63,02-903 Warsaw,Poland.
authors.forename: Anna Małgorzata
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Taraszewska
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Nutrition and Dietetic with Clinic of Metabolic Diseases and Gastroenterology,Division of School Nutrition,National Food and Nutrition Institute,ul. Powsińska 61/63,02-903 Warsaw,Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jaczewska-Schuetz
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Nutrition and Dietetic with Clinic of Metabolic Diseases and Gastroenterology,National Food and Nutrition Institute,Warsaw,Poland.
authors.forename: Mirosław
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jarosz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005638:Fruit; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents; D011044:Poland; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables
keywords: Children nutrition; Determinants of consumption; Fruit consumption; Vegetable consumption