The Pattern of Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables by Undergraduate Students: A Case Study

Dietary patterns rich in high fruits and vegetables intake are associated with a myriad of health benefits. Dietary habits of young adults is in limelight, as this group is in transition from adolescence to adulthood and are potential to influence the health status of next generation. The purpose of this study was to explore the fruit and vegetable consumption behavior of undergraduate students of the University of Peradeniya. The specific objectives were to (i) identify the fruit and vegetable consumption pattern of the cohort (ii) identify the knowledge and attitudes of students over fruit and vegetable consumption as perceived facilitators and barriers, and (iii) establish relationships among different factors influencing fruit and vegetable consumption pattern of undergraduate students. The study was carried out with 90 students from the Faculties of Agriculture, Medicine and Engineering. Respondents were instructed to indicate the frequency and portion size representing their usual diet using a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using probit analysis to identify the factors affecting dietary consumption of fruits and vegetables. It was observed that the most frequently consumed fruits by the study cohort were banana, papaya, mango, orange and pineapple and the vegetables were beans, dhal, carrot, potato, leeks, pumpkin, Gotukola and Mukunuwenna. The mean fruit and vegetable consumption per day was 267 g which is far less than the recommended quantity for the particular age group. Regression results revealed that the faculty, religion and the academic year did not significantly (p>0.05) affect the recommended intake. However, gender, income, taboos and knowledge score have shown significant effect on fruit and vegetable consumption among undergraduate students tested. Further, it was revealed that a high proportion of the students were unaware of the health benefits of consumption of fruits and vegetables.