The Impact of Self-Efficacy for Diet on Fruits and Vegetables Intake Among Adults in Mississippi
Precious Patrick Edet, MD1, Xavier Sam2, Jennifer L. Lemacks, PhD, RD3, Tammy Greer, PhD3, Sermin Aras, MS, RD3
1Mississippi INBRE Outreach Scholar, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 2Mississippi INBRE Outreach Scholar, East Central Community College, Decatur, MS
3Mississippi INBRE Telenutrition Center, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Mississippi adults consume among the lowest daily recommended amounts of fruits (8.7%) and vegetables (6.2%) compared to the national averages of 12.2% and 9.3%, respectively. Fruits and vegetables are highly beneficial to health because they reduce the risks of obesity and diabetes as well as other preventable health conditions. In young adults, a greater intake of fruits and vegetables correlates with a higher intellect and minimizes the occurrences of chronic illnesses later in life. Self-efficacy for diet, including fruits and vegetables intake, has been shown to serve as a motivational factor in the consumption of fruits and vegetables among adolescents. However, the relationship between self-efficacy for diet and fruit and vegetable intake and its link to dietary behaviors, has not been well researched in more general populations, especially those with higher incidences of preventable chronic diseases. The specific objective of this research is to determine the impact of self-efficacy for diet on fruits and vegetables intake in a sample of young adult residents of Mississippi. Participants were adult Mississippi residents ranging in age from 18-30 years and recruited from university and minority community outreach events. Data were collected from eligible participants by the use of paper and pens as well as electronic surveys. A Pearson correlation analysis was conducted between self-efficacy and fruits and vegetables intake using SPSS 20.0. There was a significant, positive correlation between self-efficacy for diet and fruits (r =0.428, p = 0.01, N = 80) and vegetables (r = 0.275, p = 0.01, N = 81) intake. This research shows that self-efficacy for diet is directly related to fruits and vegetables intake, and this knowledge will be beneficial in improving dietary choices among young Mississippi adults, alongside it being vital to disease prevention and dietary programs.