Locally Grown Fruit and Vegetable Purchasing Habits and the Association With Children's Diet

This study explores whether the frequency of parents' local fruits and vegetables (F&V) purchasing is associated with children's F&V intake. Questions from the 2008 Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program survey assessed parental habits and perceived barriers to purchasing and preparing local food. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the independent association between frequency of purchasing local food and children's F&V consumption. The study showed that 43.3% of parents report that their child consumes 5 or more servings of F&V/day. In addition, 49.7% of those who purchase locally grown F&V regularly had a child who consumed 5 or more servings of F&V/day. Compared to those parents who purchased locally grown F&V regularly, those in the less frequent purchasing categories were less likely to report that their child consumed 5 or more servings of F&V/day, pointing to the potential role that purchasing locally grown F&V may have in influencing children's intake.