Demographics

1. Demographics Background --- About one-third of the annual 500,000 cancer deaths in the United States are diet-related. --- Individuals living in Southeastern Missouri are particularly affected by this trend. --- High 5 for Kids is a community based research project that addresses this issue. Results Application --- Interventions need to consider the influence of foods consumed away from the home among high risk populations. --- Efforts should be made to: 1) improve the quality of the home food environment. 2) address barriers to fruit and vegetable intake. 73% of parents consume less than 5 FV daily (MN 4.1+2.1). Decreased fruit and vegetable availability and consumption among rural parents who frequently eat away from home.A. Harrod, K. Hessler, M. Elliott, D. Haire-JoshuSaint Louis University School of Public Health Specific Aim To identify the multiple environmental and individual factors that influence the availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) among rural parents in Missouri. 22% of parents report low availability of FV in the home. -- The main barrier cited to FV intake was taste (71%), not availability in the community (11%). --Parents who reported low availability of FV in the home had an increased frequency of food consumption outside of the home (p=0.001). 38% of parents report eating away from home >17/month. -- Eating out was not significantly correlated with weight (r=0.005; p=0.873). -- The more often parents eat out, the lower their intake of fruits and vegetables excluding French fries (r=-0.09; p=0.001). • Don’t Like Taste • Not in the Habit of Buying Them • Not Available • Too Expensive • Too Long to Prepare • Allergic to Them Acknowledgments - This project was funded by the National Cancer Institute. - This work was completed in collaboration with educators and families from Parents as Teachers. • Convenient • Don’t Have Time to Cook • Tastes Good • Out of Groceries