Fruit and vegetable consumption in a sample of 11-year-old children in ten European countries - the PRO GREENS cross-sectional survey.

• Published in: Public Health Nutrition
• Main Authors: Lynch, Christel, Kristjansdottir, Asa Gudrun, Te Velde, Saskia J, Lien, Nanna, Roos, Eva, Thorsdottir, Inga, Krawinkel, Michael, de Almeida, Maria Daniel Vaz, Papadaki, Angeliki, Hlastan Ribic, Cirila, Petrova, Stefka, Ehrenblad, Bettina, Halldorsson, Thorhallur I, Poortvliet, Eric, Yngve, Agneta
• Other Authors: 11Department of Biosciences and Nutrition,Karolinska Institutet,NOVUM,SE 141 83 Huddinge,Stockholm,Sweden. 22Unit for Nutrition Research, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition,School of Health Sciences,University of Iceland & Landspitali University Hospital,Reykjavik,Iceland. 33EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research and Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics,VU University Medical Center,Amsterdam,The Netherlands. 44Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine,University of Oslo,Oslo,Norway. 55Folkhälsan Research Center,Helsinki,Finland. 67Institute of Nutritional Sciences,Unit for International Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural Nutrition,Environmental Sciences and Home Economics,Justus-Liebig University,Giessen,Germany. 78Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences,University of Porto,Porto,Portugal. 89Department of Social Medicine,Preventive Medicine and Nutrition Clinic,University of Crete,Heraklion,Crete,Greece. 911National Institute of Public Health,Ljubljana,Slovenia. 1012National Center for Public Health Protection,Sofia,Bulgaria.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press 2014
• Subjects: Mataræði; Börn; Áverkar; Grænmeti; Hollusta matar; Child; Diet Surveys*; Europe; Fruit*; Nutrition Assessment*; Nutritional Requirements; Vegetables*; Cross-Sectional Studies; Questionnaires; Schools; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/325508

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink at the bottom of the page To describe fruit and vegetable intake of 11-year-old children in ten European countries and compare it with current dietary guidelines. Cross-sectional survey. Intake was assessed using a previously validated questionnaire containing a pre-coded 24 h recall and an FFQ which were completed in the classroom. Portion sizes were calculated using a standardized protocol. Surveys were performed in schools regionally selected in eight countries and nationally representative in two countries. A total of 8158 children from 236 schools across Europe participating in the PRO GREENS project. The total mean consumption of fruit and vegetables was between 220 and 345 g/d in the ten participating countries. Mean intakes did not reach the WHO population goal of ≥400 g/d in any of the participating countries. Girls had a significantly higher intake of total fruit and vegetables than boys in five of the countries (Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Bulgaria and Slovenia). Mean total fruit intake ranged between 114 and 240 g/d and vegetable intake between 73 and 141 g/d. When using the level ≥400 g/d as a cut-off, only 23·5 % (13·8-37·0 %) of the studied children, depending on country and gender, met the WHO recommendation (fruit juice excluded). Fruit and vegetable consumption was below recommended levels among the schoolchildren in all countries and vegetable intake was lower than fruit intake. The survey shows that there is a need for promotional activities to improve fruit and vegetable consumption in this age group. The Programme of Community Action in the Field of Public Health 2003–2008 of the European Commission.