Vegetable and Fruit Consumption Behaviours of Secondary and High School Students

Year 2017, Volume: 11 Issue: 4, 245 - 255, 20.12.2017

Özcan Aygün , Gonca Karayağız Muslu

https://doi.org/10.21763/tjfmpc.359809

Cited By: 4

Abstract

Introduction: Individuals should consume at least five portions of
vegetables and fruit per day to maintain a healthy diet. Therefore, the factors
that affect vegetable and fruit consumption among young people and adolescents
should be identified, and the causes of inadequate consumption of vegetables
and fruit should be examined. The aim of this study was to determine the daily
amount of vegetable and fruit consumption of adolescents studying at secondary
and high schools, their distribution according to the vegetable and fruit
consumption change stages in the transtheoretical model, and the factors
related to the change processes. Method:
This study used a descriptive research design. It was conducted in 2016 at four
secondary schools and three high schools affiliated with the Fethiye District
Directorate of National Education. The data were collected from 1,870 students
through stratification conducted at each school. An introductory information
form, the transtheoretical model vegetable and fruit consumption change stages
and change process scales were used to collect the data.  Number, percentiles, independent samples
t-test and One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used for analysis of the
data. Findings: This study found
that the participants were aged from 11 to 17. Of the participants, 59.4% were
male, and approximately two thirds of them were secondary school students.
According to the change stages of the transtheoretical model, 32.1% of the
students were regularly consuming five portions of vegetables and fruit for
more than one month.  This study also
found that there was a statistically significant difference between the sex,
age, grade, number of siblings of the students, the economic status of their
families, having the support of their families and friends, their access to
vegetables and fruit at home and school, and their daily consumption of
vegetables and fruit, as well as their fruit and vegetable consumption
behaviors (p<.01). The change stages of the transtheoretical model and the
vegetable-fruit consumption behaviors of the students were found to be related
(p<.05). Conclusion: This study
found that the vegetable and fruit consumption of males and adolescents older
than 15 years of age was inadequate; factors such as economic status, the
influence of family and friends, and access to vegetables and fruit had effects
on  consumption. The number of portions
consumed per day was related to the vegetable and fruit consumption behavior.
Considering these results, it is recommended that health improvement practices
should be developed, and the support  of
individuals and institutions  should be
increased,  including the support of
family, school, friends, teachers, and health institutions in particular. These
health improvement practices should be developed for students who are older,
who are in the upper grades, who are male, 
who suffer from economic insufficiency, and  who lack access  to vegetables and fruit. Access to vegetables
and fruit should be made easier in the areas where these students reside.

Giriş: Sağlıklı beslenmenin
sürdürülebilmesi için günlük sebze ve meyve tüketiminin en az beş porsiyon
olması gerekmektedir. Bu nedenle, gençlerde ve ergenlerde sebze ve meyve
tüketimini etkileyen faktörlerin belirlenmesi, yetersiz tüketimin nedenlerinin
araştırılması gerekmektedir. Bu çalışmanın
amacı, ortaokul ve lise düzeyinde öğrenim gören adölesanların günlük sebze ve
meyve tüketimi miktarları, transteorik model sebze ve meyve tüketimi değişim
aşamalarına göre dağılımları ve değişim süreçleri ile ilişkili faktörlerin
belirlenmesidir.  Yöntem: Fethiye İlçe Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğüne bağlı dört
ortaokul ve üç lisede 2016 yılında yapılan bu çalışma tanımlayıcı tiptedir. Her
okuldan tabakalama yapılarak 1870 kişiden veri 
toplanmıştır. Araştırmanın verilerinin toplanmasında, tanıcı bilgi
formu, transteoretik model sebze ve meyve tüketimi değişim aşamaları ve değişim
süreci ölçekleri kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde ise, sayı,
yüzdelik dilimler, bağımsız değişkenlerde t testi ve Tek Yönlü Varyans Analizi
kullanılmıştır. Bulgular:
Katılımcıların yaşları 11-17 arasında, %59.4’ü erkek, yaklaşık 2/3’ü ortaokul
öğrencisidir. Transteoretik model değişim aşamalarına göre, bir aydan fazladır
düzenli olarak günde beş porsiyon sebze ve meyve tüketen öğrencilerin oranı ise
%32.1’dir.  Öğrencilerin cinsiyet, yaş,
sınıf, kardeş sayısı, ailelerinin ekonomik durumları, aile ve arkadaş desteğine
sahip olmaları, evde ve okulda sebze-meyveye erişim durumları ve günlük tüketim
miktarları ile sebze ve meyve tüketim davranışları arasında istatistiksel
olarak anlamlı farklılık saptanmıştır (p<.01). Transteoretik model değişim
aşamaları ile sebze-meyve tüketim davranışlarının ilişkili olduğu
belirlenmiştir (p<.05). Sonuç: Çalışma sonucunda, erkeklerin,
15 yaş üzerindeki adölesanların sebze ve meyve tüketimin yetersiz olduğu;
ekonomik durum, aile ve arkadaş etkisi, sebze ve meyveye erişim gibi
faktörlerin tüketimde etkili olduğu; günlük tüketilen porsiyon sayısının sebze
ve meyve tüketim davranışıyla ilişkili olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bu sonuçlar
ışığında, yaşı daha büyük, ileri sınıflarda öğrenim gören, cinsiyeti erkek
olan, ekonomik yetersizliği olan öğrencilere yönelik sağlığı geliştirici uygulamalar
ve özellikle aile, okul, arkadaş, öğretmen, sağlık kurumları vb. gibi
destekleyici bireysel ve kurumsal çevrenin oluşturulması, öğrencilerin
bulundukları ortamlarda sebze ve meyveye erişimlerinin kolaylaştırılması
önerilmektedir.

 

Keywords

adolescent, student, behavior, vegetable and fruit, transtheoretical model

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