Factors Associated with Daily Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables in Serbia †
1
Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Hygiene and Medical Ecology, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
2
Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Social Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
3
Clinic for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023, Belgrade, Serbia, 14–17 November 2023.
Proceedings 2023, 91(1), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091206
Published: 4 February 2024
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023)
Abstract
:Background and objectives: The beneficial effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on general health are well known. Daily consumption of both fruit and vegetables is therefore considered to be an indicator of a healthy diet and lifestyle. The study aimed to investigate the frequency and factors that contribute to daily consumption of both fruits and vegetables in the Serbian adult population. Methods: For the purpose of this study, we used data from the freely available registry from the national general health survey of the Serbian adult population that was performed in 2019. Data were statistical analyzed using the Statistical software for Social Sciences SPSS 22.0. Results: A total of 31.3% of the participants (4123/13,178) reported daily consumption of both fruit and vegetables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the association between daily consumption of both fruit and vegetables with female sex (OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.32–1.58), older age (OR: 1.01; 95% CI: 1.00–1.01), having the highest quintile (OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.31–1.78), having a secondary (OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.16–1.46) or tertiary level of education (OR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.51–2.02), having good (OR-1.29, 95% CI: 1.08–1.53) or average self-rated health (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.06–1.47), being a non-smoker (OR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.25–1.52) and performing sufficient physical activity (OR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.34–3.02). Discussion: The obtained results indicate that in Serbia, older females, non-smokers, those with a higher level of education and better income and those who perform regular physical activity most commonly consume both fruits and vegetables on daily bases. Because a higher intake of fruits and vegetables improves public health, adequate and regular education of healthy nutrition at the individual and community levels is suggested. This education in Serbia should particularly be tailored towards younger men with generally unhealthy lifestyles (physically inactive smokers) and a low level of education, as they appear to consume fruits and vegetables the least.
Author Contributions
M.M., J.T. and J.D. designed the study, performed data analysis and literature review and wrote the paper. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This study received no funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement
Data are available upon request from the authors.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest
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MDPI and ACS Style
Miloradović, M.; Todorović, J.; Dotlić, J. Factors Associated with Daily Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables in Serbia. Proceedings 2023, 91, 206. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091206
AMA Style
Miloradović M, Todorović J, Dotlić J. Factors Associated with Daily Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables in Serbia. Proceedings. 2023; 91(1):206. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091206
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiloradović, Maja, Jovana Todorović, and Jelena Dotlić. 2023. "Factors Associated with Daily Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables in Serbia" Proceedings 91, no. 1: 206. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091206
