Fruit and vegetable intake of schoolchildren in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala Consumo de frutas y vegetales en escolares de Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

• Main Authors: Gabriela Montenegro-Bethancourt, Colleen M. Doak, Noel Solomons
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2009
• Subjects: Frutas; vegetales; política nutricional; evaluación nutricional; nutrición en salud pública; nutrición del niño; Guatemala; Fruit; vegetables; nutrition policy; nutrition assessment; nutrition; public health; child nutrition; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic; Bajos
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/ac6599b3e6fb4d4a8bf2e302e646e4a6

OBJECTIVE: To determine if fruit and vegetable consumption among high- and low-socio economic status (HSES-LSES) urban schoolchildren in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, was ad equate according to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 449 third- and fourth-grade girls and boys from 12 el ementary schools were collected, analyzed, and presented by socioeconomic status and gender. Public schoolchildren were classified as LSES (n = 219) and private schoolchildren were clas sified as HSES (n = 230). Dietary fruit/vegetable intake of each student was determined based on a 24-hour recall pictorial record and personal interview. All food items containing fruits or vegetables (including beverages) were classified and tabulated. Frequency of fruit/vegetable intake was calculated based on "mentions" (number of times a fruit or vegetable item was reportedly consumed), and nutritional adequacy was assessed for each group by mean and median values and compared to WHO daily recommended fruit/vegetable intake (400 g). Based on World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) exclusion guidelines, the fruit/vegetable con tribution to total energy was estimated. RESULTS: Of the 247 different food items identified, 93 (37.7%) contained a fruit or veg etable. Total food mentions (n = 6 512) included 637 fruit items and 701 vegetable items. Al though mean fruit/vegetable intake in grams was 461.3 (standard deviation, ± 332.5), more than half (56.3%) of the subjects fell below the 400-g recommended daily level. Estimated fruit/vegetable contribution to total energy was 21.2% for HSES and 19.1% for LSES. CONCLUSION: This study revealed inadequate fruit/vegetable intake among the study sample. For compliance with global recommendations, interventions promoting fruit/vegetable intake are needed. OBJETIVO: Determinar si el consumo de frutas y vegetales en escolares de ingresos altos y bajos de zonas urbanas de Quetzaltenango es el adecuado según las recomendaciones de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). ...