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Relationships between food security, fruit and vegetable availability, and fruit and vegetable intake in elementary children and their parents
This 2020 study was carried out in an elementary school in Texas, and measured the food security, as well as the fruit and vegetable availability and consumption levels of the elementary kids and their parents. The objective was to explore the interrelations between food security, fruit and vegetable availability, and fruit and vegetable intake among both parents and children. In comparison to the parents and children with high food security, those with low food security were found to eat significantly more total fruits and vegetables. However, there was no prominent trend in the interaction between vegetable availability and vegetable intake in neither student or parent groups. The link was found between the availability of fruits at home with the children’s fruit consumption levels, but fruit availability did positively correlate with fruit intake among the parents. Sossamon & Miketinas theorize that the connection between low food security and higher intakes of fruits and vegetables among both parents and children may be due to the differences in fruit consumption rather than vegetable intake. Furthermore, it was concluded that there is an association between greater fruit availability at home with increased fruit eating among parents. [NPID: low-income, food insecurity, elementary, fruit, vegetables]
Year: 2020
