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

## TL;DR

This study finds that most adults in Northern Angola consume far fewer fruits and vegetables than recommended, with factors like being female, having low education, and being young contributing to this issue.

## Contribution

The study identifies key demographic factors associated with inadequate fruit and vegetable intake in a previously understudied Angolan population.

## Key findings

- 86.2% of participants consumed less than the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables.
- Female gender, low education level, and being aged 20-29 were significantly associated with inadequate intake.
- No link was found between fruit and vegetable consumption and cardiovascular risk factors.

## Abstract

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.

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.

It is a subset analysis of CardioBengo, a community-based cross-sectional observational study conducted in the Dande Municipality, Bengo Province, Angola.

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).

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.