The influence of social networks in increasing fruit and vegetables consumption in university students: a randomised controlled study

Abstract

Despite the benefits of fruit and vegetables (F&V) consumption on health, university students face difficulties adapting and/or maintaining a healthy lifestyle when living away from home. Adverse health‐related behaviours are prevalent in this population (1~3) which potentially impact on longer‐term health beyond young adulthood (4). The present study aimed to 1) increase fruit and vegetable consumption in students living away from home, and 2) to determine whether F&V consumption was further enhanced when social networks (e.g. Facebook) providing nutritional education was also available. A total of 60 (36 female 24 male) full‐time university students living away from home were recruited and randomly allocated to one of 3 study groups, namely: 'Control∗ received no intervention, 'F&V' received two and three fruits and vegetables respectively for 4 weeks from an individualised preferred list, and the 'F&V + Education ' received F&V (as for the F&V group) plus nutrition education delivered via Facebook and which focused on benefits of F&V consumption. Consumption of F&V was assessed pre‐intervention using a validated questionnaire and post intervention using a 4 day semi‐quantitative food diaries. Compliance relating to consump‐tion of F&V provided was assessed using records of waste/uneaten F&V. Analysis of food diaries was undertaken using Nutritics software and SPSS version 24 used for statistical analysis. All data were log‐transformed before statistical analysis using Paired sample t‐test and ANOVA. [Table Presented] F&V, Fruit and Vegetable; ΔF&V, Post minus Pre intake; NA, not applicable. Values are mean (SD) for F&V portions reported from 1food‐diary or 2return bags. aPre versus post intervention intake compared using paired Sample t‐test. bChange in F&V intake compared across groups using ANOVA. cChange in F&V intake compared across groups using an independent t‐test. Participants at baseline were mean age 24·4y (SD 3·7) y, BMI 25·4 (SD 4·7) kg/m2 and study groups did not differ by age. Consumption of F&V increased in both intervention groups (P < ·0001) from baseline to end of study with food diary data suggesting that 31 % of participants in both intervention groups consumed 5 portions of F&V each day. However in contrast data from 'return bags' suggested 65 % achieved this in both intervention groups. 70 % of participants engaged with Facebook regularly. In conclusion, this study showed that providing F&V weekly increased consumption in university students and providing additional nutrition education (via Facebook) did not further enhance intakes of F&V. Further work is currently underway to assess biomarkers of F&V intake to objectively assess F&V intakes during the study period and to determine whether continuing the nutrition education component can help sustain these changes in F&V intakes.