JACN Did you know that you can get alerts when a new issue is online?
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Riediger, N. D.
Right arrow Articles by Moghadasian, M. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Riediger, N. D.
Right arrow Articles by Moghadasian, M. H.
Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 27, No. 2, 306-313 (2008)
Published by the American College of Nutrition

Patterns of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and the Influence of Sex, Age and Socio-Demographic Factors among Canadian Elderly

Natalie D. Riediger, BSc and Mohammed H. Moghadasian, PhD

Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, and Canadian Centre for Agri-food Research in Health and Medicine, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA

Address correspondence to: Natalie D. Riediger, B.Sc., St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, 351 Tache Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2H 3A6 CANADA. E-mail: nriediger{at}sbrc.ca

Objective: The aim of the present study was to: 1) describe the patterns of fruit and vegetable (f&v) intake in Canadian elderly and 2) identify socio-demographic factors that were associated with the low consumption.

Methods: Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey cycle 2.1 (2003), Public Use File, were used. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 11.5 for Windows®. Total f&v intake of Canadian elderly (65 years and older) was cross-tabulated between four age groups, by gender, level of household education, total household income, ethnicity, marital status, and geographical locations.

Results: Our data revealed that 47% of Canadian elderly sample consume f&v equal to or greater than five times daily. A strong positive association was found between f&v consumption and total household income and highest household education. Gender and marital status were other important contributing factors for f&v intake among elderly. Ethnicity did not influence f&v intake. Younger males reported to consume less f&v than older males did, but consumption of f&v was comparable among all four age groups of females. Elderly living in the Maritime Provinces and the Yukon/Northwest Territories/Nunavut had a lower level of f&v consumption, as compared to elderly living in other provinces.

Conclusions: These results indicate that >50% of Canadian elderly do not consume f&v five or more times per day. Gender and several socio-demographic factors significantly influence f&v intake in Canadian elderly. Further studies warrant identifying at risk elderly groups and implementing programs to encourage adequate f&v intake by Canadian elderly.

Key words: fruit, vegetables, elderly, Canadian, survey, socio-demographic






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2008 by the American College of Nutrition.