Children’s Daily Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Associations with Maternal Intake and Child Weight Status

ObjectiveTo evaluate associations between children’s and their mothers’ fruit and vegetable (FV) intake and children’s FV intake and weight status.MethodsMothers (n = 39) residing in Philadelphia, PA completed a subsection of the Diet History Questionnaire assessing their FV intake. Mothers also completed this questionnaire to estimate FV intake among their 5- or 6-year-old children (n = 39). Children’s height and weight were measured. Pearson correlation, Student t tests, and binary logistic regression analyses were performed.ResultsA significant positive mother-child association was found for FV intake (P < .001). Overweight/obese children consumed fewer FVs than normal-weight children (P = .02).Conclusions and ImplicationsEfforts to promote FV consumption in mothers may help children achieve the recommended intake of FVs. Higher intakes of FVs in turn may help with child weight management.