@2024 Afarand., IRAN

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ISSN: 2383-2150    Journal of Education and Community Health 2014;1(2):10-19

Background
… [1-2]. According to the World Health Organization, fruits and vegetables should be used for atleast 400 grams per day to get the benefits of them (equivalent to 5 servings)[3].
Previous Studies
… [4-9]For The desirable impact on food choices, theory of planned behavior is considered as one of the most important theories. This theory assumes the person as a rational actor, so that a person is devoted to process of information before performing a behavior.During this process it is possible that his ideas and therefore his behavior change. According to this theory, the most important predictor of performing a behavior is person`s intention of performing the behavior [10].…[11-14].
Aim(s)
This study aimed to evaluate the compliance of Hamadan high school girls to the plan of consumption of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables based on the theory of planned behavior.
Research type
This research is descriptive.
Research society, place and time
In this study, 400 female high school students of Hamedan city were studied in the 2012-2013 academic year.
Sampling method and number
The sample size was determined according to the standard deviation from a preliminary study by researchers with coefficient of confidence of 95 percent and the ratio of 0.5 and acceptable error of 0.05. Sampling was multi-stage cluster sampling, based on schools and grade of education.The effect of the scheme was estimatedbased on (DEFF = 1 + r (n-1) about 1.22 that for greater accuracy and reduction of the impact of any cluster aggregation was increased to 1.5.Hamedan’s high schools were classified to three areas of down town, up town, and center, and two schools from each region and one class from each grade in each school were randomly selected and all students in these levels were entered the study.
Used devices&materials
Instrument for data collection in this study was a researcher-made questionnaire including questions related to personal information (level of education, number of family members, father's education, mother`s education, mother's occupation, father's occupation, family income, body mass index and type of school) and Theory of planned Behavior (TPB) constructs using the questionnaire provided in the Ajzen site [15]. To determine the reliability, questionnaire was distributed among 20 students who had the same conditions and after it was completed by students, Cronbach alpha was measured (0.72). Validity of the questionnaire was approved by method of content validity by a panel of experts on health education and two nutritionists from Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Structures were evaluated directly by using 7-point Likert option. The questionnaire contained seven questions of knowledge, 3 questions of evaluation of findings as 7-point Likert option, three questions of perceived controlled behavior, three question of behavioral intention, three questions of subjective norm, three question of attitude, four questions of motivation to comply, four questions of behavioral beliefs, three questions of beliefs control, three questions of perceived power, and four question of beliefs. Performance of fruit and vegetable consumption was evaluated by using the questionnaires of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) as a way to collect information about risk factors in forms of oral (phone call). However, because of the limitations in this study, this questionnaire was completed by students after a week in a written form. Only 363 students completed the questionnaire after one week and 37 persons who hadn’t completed the questionnaire were excluded of study. After completing the first questionnaire, the average amount of fruits and vegetables was taught to students based on questionnaires of Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ)(For example, the average value of tomato consumption will be equal to half a cup of chopped tomatoes) to complete the second questionnaire without any problem. This questionnaire included six questions that after completing by students, rate of consumption was gathered up in each questionnaire and rate of consumption per student was determined in a week. To gain the approximate amount, daily consumption was divided on number seven. Provided this rate was lower than number 5, it was categorized in low group and if it was equal to the number 5 it was placed in normal group and if the amount of consumption was more than five, it was classified as high group. Statistical analysis: Collected information was analyzed by using SPSS statistical software (version 16) and statistical tests. To investigate the relation of each demographic factors with the consumption of fruits and vegetables, chi-square and one-way ANOVA were used.Also,the relation between theoretical constructs was calculated with Pearson correlation test and predictive effect of constructs was calculated with linear regression through step wise method. The significance level for all tests was considered less than 0.05.
Findings by Text
The mean age of students was 16.7±2.3 years, and amount of consumption of fruit and vegetable among female students of high schools in Hamedan city was 3.4 times a day, The amount of fruit consumption was 1.7 times and the amount of vegetable consumption was 1.6. Among the demographic variables of the participants in the study, variables of household size, father's education, mother's education, father's occupation, income,type of school, and body mass index had a significant statistics relation with consumption of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day (Table 1). Pearson's correlation matrix of TPB constructs and knowledge are presented in table 2.According to the findings, consumer behavior of fruit and vegetables consumption had a positive and significant correlation with behavioral intention (p<0.001) and subjective norms (p<0.05).Behavioral intention had a positive and significant correlation with attitude, subjective norms, perceived controlled behavior, and knowledge (p<0.001). The findings of this study showed that among that TPB constructs, attitude, subjective norms and perceived controlled behavior, could predict 31 percent of changes in the plan of fruit and vegetables daily consumption(Table 3).Also, attitude had positive and significant correlation with subjective norms (p<0.001),perceived controlled behavior (p<0.001) and knowledge (p<0.05). Subjective norms correlation with perceived controlled behavior (p<0.001) and knowledge (p<0.05) was positive and significant. Also, the correlation between perceived controlled behavior and knowledge was positive and significant (p<0.05). Also, according to the theoretical framework of the theory of planned behavior,predictors of behavior were evaluated that between intention and perceived behavioral control only behavioral intention could predict the intention of behavior and, it could predict 35 percent of the variance of behavior changes (Table 4).
Main comparison to the similar studies
… [16-28].In this study, a statistically significant and reverse relationship obtained between BMI and amount of consumption of fruit and vegetables. This finding corresponds with previous studies [14, 29]. … [30-32].In correlation analysis of TPB constructs with consumption of fruit and vegetable, it was determined that structural attitude has a negative relationship with consumption of fruit and vegetable. In a previous studies it has been specified that inappropriate attitude towards taste and flavor, enjoyment of consumption, access and availability of fruit and vegetables, are the main reasons for the lack of fruits and vegetables consumption in people, especially in teens and young ages.[22, 33] …[34-36].
Suggestions
Measuring emotional attitude and instrumental attitude, should be done separately in future studies, and variables of old habits, believe on access to fruits and vegetables, taste, satisfaction, and joy of consumption should be considered.
Limitations
Including the limitations of this study were self-reported consumption of fruit and vegetables, limited generalizability of the results to entire population, and failure to complete the BRFSS questionnaire by all students.
Conclusions
Consumption of fruits and vegetables is not enough among students in Hamedan city.
Acknowledgments
The authors express their appreciation to the esteemed university officials, education officials of dual areas in Hamedan, all dear students, teachers and school administrators who helped us in conducting this study.
Conflict of interest
Individual interests of authors didn’t associate with results of this research.
Ethical Permissions
Agreement of an education department in Hamedan city was achieved to determine the appropriate time to complete the questionnaire. Mean while, the written consent of selected students and their parents were taken for entering in the study and they were confidence about confidentiality of information.
Funding Sources
This research was approved on 2012/6/10 to the number 9108062687 by Vice Chancellor for Research and Technology University of Medical Sciences in Hamedan city (Research Council in HSR Health Care) and funding is supplied by the aforementioned deputy.

TABLES and CHARTS

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