Abstract Background and aim Dietary habits, particularly the intake of fruits and vegetables, are widely recognized as modifiable risk factors for health outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and self-reported walking difficulties in a large population-based sample, adjusting for mental health status, sex, and education. Methods We performed a cross-sectional observational study using a subset of data from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a nationwide telephone-based survey coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between fruit and vegetable intake and the presence of walking difficulties. The model included additional predictors: mental health, sex, and education level. Model fit was assessed using AIC, pseudo R², and ROC curve analysis. Results Lower consumption of fruits was significantly associated with higher odds of walking difficulties (OR: 0.948, 95% CI: 0.926–0.971, p Conclusion Low fruit and vegetable intake is independently associated with increased odds of walking difficulties, even after controlling for mental health, sex, and education. These findings underlines the role of a healthy diet as a fundamental public health strategy to improve overall functional status and prevent declines in muscle strength and performance. As highlighted in recent research published in * Nature Medicine * , a better understanding of the relationship between lifestyle behaviors can accelerate our efforts to improve healthy aging for which poor diet is a risk factor.
Rosa Ragozzino (2025) studied this question.