Prevalence and factors associated with inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables in a population from Northern Angola

Background: The World Health Organization recommends a minimum intake of 400 g or five servings of Fruits and Vegetables (FVs) per day for the prevention of chronic diseases.Objective: The present study aims to describe the prevalence and factors associated with inadequate FVs intake in a sample of Angolan adults who participated in the CardioBengo study.Methods: It is a subset analysis of CardioBengo, a community-based cross-sectional observational study conducted in the Dande Municipality, Bengo Province, Angola.Results: The sample included 2161 individuals aged 18 to 84, with 64.1% being women. 57.2% of participants was below high school, and only 3.1% attended higher education. 61.7% were married, 48.3% had a monthly income below 150 USD. The prevalence of insufficient FVs consumption in the sample was 86.2%. It was observed that female gender, low education level, and the age group of 20-29 years were associated with inadequate FVs intake (p = 0.010, p = 0.001, and p = 0.006, respectively).Conclusion: There was no association between FVs consumption and cardiovascular risk factors. A prevalence of FVs consumption well below current recommendations was identified. The identified risk factors can serve as a strategy to increase FVs consumption in this population. Keywords: Fruits and vegetables; non-communicable chronic diseases; sociodemographic factors; Angola.