Dietary intake of fruits and vegetables in Norway: Influence of life phase and socio-economic factors

The aim of the study was to contribute to a better understanding of factors influencing the consumption of fruits, vegetables and potatoes among consumers in Norway. It is built on data from two consumer surveys; one including 1103 persons and the other including 13,857 persons. The data indicate that a considerable proportion of the consumers had a very low frequency of consumption when compared to present recommendations of intake; 31% consumed vegetables, and 24% fruits twice a week or less. Data from multivariate analyses (logistic regression) showed that age, sex, income and household structure were important determinants for the consumption of fruits. These factors, as well as education and place of living were important determinants of the consumption of vegetables and potatoes. Consumers who were very interested in health issues, were more likely to have a high consumption of fruits and vegetables, whereas those who had a preference for quickly prepared food tended to have a low consumption of vegetables. These results are discussed in relation to the consumers own perception of important limitations for consumption of these products.