Suboptimal Intake of Fruits and Vegetables in Nine Selected Countries of the World Health Organization European Region
Holly Rippin, Katerina Maximova, Enrique Loyola, João Breda, Kremlin Wickramasinghe, Carina Ferreira‐Borges, Nino Berdzuli, Morteza Hajihosseini, Irina Novik, Vital Pisaryk, Lela Sturua, Ainura Akmatova, Galina Obreja, Saodat Azimzoda Mustafo, Banu Ekinci, Toker Ergüder, Shukhrat Shukurov, Gahraman Hagverdiyev, Diana Andreasyan, Sergei Bychkov, Ivo Rakovac
Abstract
The objective of this study was to characterize fruit and vegetable consumption in 9 selected countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region. We analyzed data on fruit and vegetable intake and participant sociodemographic characteristics for 30,455 adults in 9 Eastern European and Central Asian countries via standardized STEPS survey methodology. Fruit and vegetable consumption across all countries was suboptimal, with a high percentage of populations not meeting the WHO-recommended intake of at least 5 servings (400 g) per day. Strengthened implementation of evidence-based policies to increase intake of fruit and vegetables is needed to reduce the burden of and disparities in NCDs.