CHILDRENS FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE - SOCIOECONOMIC, ADULT-CHILD, REGIONAL, AND URBAN-RURAL INFLUENCES

National objectives for fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption have bee n set at five or more servings per day. The National Cancer Institute funded three interventions aimed at increasing F&V consumption among e lementary school children. Focus group discussions were held with four th- and fifth-grade students, their parents, teachers, and food servic e workers in three regions to determine if environmental, personal, an d behavioral influences differed across socioeconomic status (SES), re gional, urban-rural, adult-child, and ethnic groups. Discussion guides for focus group sessions were based on the three domains of social co gnitive theory's reciprocal determinism: environmental, behavioral, an d personal characteristics. Discussions were conducted with groups of students (15), parents (11), teachers (6), and food service workers (6 ). A systematic content analysis was conducted with THE ETHNOGRAPH,(R) a software system. Differences in the three major components of recip rocal determinism were found across SES, urban-rural, regional, and ad ult-child factors. Middle to high SES groups reported a much larger va riety of F&Vs available in their homes. Children from low and very low SES groups appeared to be responsible for preparing more meals alone. Children, not adults, thought of vegetables as ''grown-up'' foods.