Use of the transtheoretical model of change to successfully predict fruit and vegetable consumption

This study examined the applicability of the transtheoretical model of chan ge to assess readiness to increase fruit and vegetable intake in a national ly representative sample of U.S. adults. Using data from the 1991 5 A Day b aseline survey of 2811 respondents, this study developed an algorithm based in part on responses to fruit and vegetable questions for classifying peop le into alternative stages of change. Associations were examined between st ages of change, fruit and vegetable intake, and demographic and psychosocia l factors. Results indicated that individuals can be classified by stage of change vis a vis fruit and vegetable intake. Persons in the higher stages of maintenance reported intakes that met national dietary recommendations o f five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily and those in action r eported intakes that approached this level. Regression analyses showed that stages of change were a significant predictor of fruit and vegetable consu mption, explaining 17% of the variation in fruit and vegetable intake. Stag es of change and knowing the number of fruit and vegetable servings one sho uld eat for good health provided the most parsimonious model, explaining 25 % of the variance in total fruit and vegetable intake, compared with 29% fo r the full model. These findings suggest that stages are a successful predi ctor of fruit and vegetable consumption and implies a utility for the trans theoretical theory in the design and evaluation of stage-based nutrition me ssages for chronic disease prevention.