Fruit and vegetable consumption among urban Canadian schoolchildren living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhood

Purpose: Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption was examined among children aged seven to 10 years in a London, Ontario, neighbourhood. The goal was to determine areas requiring targeted programs to promote healthy lifestyles. Methods: Data were gathered from 136 students in grades 2 to 4. Each student attended one of four elementary schools within a neighbourhood designated a priority by the City of London Child and Youth Network. The Day in the Life Questionnaire was used to collect the data. Instances of FV consumption were compared with Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide (CFG) guidelines. Results: Ninety-eight percent of participants did not follow the CFG-recommended minimum guidelines; they had fewer than five instances of FV consumption daily. Eighty-seven percent had fewer than two instances of FV consumption daily. Conclusions: These data support national findings of low FV consumption among children. (Can J Diet Pract Res. 2013;74:114-118) (DOI: 10.3148/74.3.2013.114) RéSumé Objectif. La consommation de fruits et légumes (FL) a été examinée chez des enfants âgés de sept à dix ans provenant d’un quartier de London, en Ontario. L’objectif était de déterminer quels secteurs nécessitaient des programmes ciblés visant à promouvoir un mode de vie sain. Méthodes. Des données ont été recueillies auprès de 136 élèves de la 2e à la 4e année. Chaque élève fréquentait l’une de quatre écoles primaires situées dans un quartier qualifié prioritaire par le Child and Youth Network de la ville de London. Le Day in the Life Questionnaire [Questionnaire de rappel d’un jour] a été utilisé afin de collecter les données. La consommation de FL a été comparée aux recommandations du Guide alimentaire canadien (GAC). Résultats. Quatre-vingt-dix-huit pour cent des participants ne suivaient pas les recommandations minimales du GAC; ils consommaient des FL moins de cinq fois par jour. Quatre-vingt-sept pour cent consommaient des FL moins de deux fois par jour. Conclusions. Ces données soutiennent les conclusions nationales quant à la faible consommation de FL chez les enfants. (Rev can prat rech diétét. 2013;74:114-118) (DOI: 10.3148/74.3.2013.114) KARNA E. GLEN, MScFN, RD, HEATHER M. THOMAS, PhD, RD, Division of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Brescia university College at Western university, London, ON; JANET E. LOEBACH, MEnv, Department of Geography, Western university, London, ON; JASON A. GILLILAND, PhD, Department of Geography, School of Health Studies, and Department of Paediatrics, Western university, and Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON; COLLEEN P. GOBERT, PhD, RD, Division of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Brescia university College at Western university, London, ON INTRODuCTION Over the past 30 years, rates of childhood obesity and overweight have risen steadily in Canada (1-3). More recently, results from the Canadian Health Measures Survey indicated that approximately 19% of Canadian children aged five to 17 years are overweight, and approximately 11% are obese (2-4). This finding represents an increase of 70% in the prevalence of overweight since the 1970s, while the prevalence of obesity is now 2.5 times higher (2). The health consequences of obesity, both in childhood and later in adulthood, are well known, and highlight the importance of prevention and treatment (5-10). A major factor contributing to childhood overweight and obesity is unhealthy eating habits (5). This factor has been studied across the country and worldwide. Results from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) indicate that approximately 70% of children aged four to eight years and 65% aged nine to 13 years do not consume the recommended minimum five servings of fruits and vegetables (FV) daily (11). Results from the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that, among children aged six to 11 years, 74.1% and 83.8% did not meet recommendations for fruit consumption and vegetable consumption, respectively (12). Furthermore, this population’s dietary intake was characterized by low-fibre, high total and saturated fat, and higher addedsugar food and beverage choices (13,14). The Health Survey for England 2009 revealed that 78% of girls aged five to 15 years and 79% of boys in this age group were consuming fewer than five servings of FV daily (15). Although national and international data are available, region-specific information on children’s eating habits is limited. Measuring young children’s diet quality is challenging. Because developmental stages affect a child’s ability to recall and quantify dietary intake accurately (16), age-appropriate tools merit consideration. Twenty-four-hour recalls presented as pictorial questionnaires can increase comprehension, enjoyment, and compliance among younger survey participants (17). Additionally, collection of data related to an indicator of overall diet C an ad ia n Jo ur na l o f D ie te tic P ra ct ic e an d R es ea rc h D ow nl oa de d fr om d cj ou rn al . c a by W es te rn U ni ve rs ity o n 04 /1 5/ 20