Prevalence and factors associated with inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables in a population from Northern Angola.

Humberto Morais, Vizé Preciosa Cupessala, João Mário Pedro, Miguel Brito, Mauer Aa Gonçalves

Journal: African health sciences 2026;25(1):422-435

PMID: 41640536

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization recommends a minimum intake of 400 g or five servings of Fruits and Vegetables (FVs) per day for the prevention of chronic diseases.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aims to describe the prevalence and factors associated with inadequate FVs intake in a sample of Angolan adults who participated in the CardioBengo study.

METHODS

It is a subset analysis of CardioBengo, a community-based cross-sectional observational study conducted in the Dande Municipality, Bengo Province, Angola.

RESULTS

The sample included 2161 individuals aged 18 to 84, with 64.1% being women. 57.2% of participants was below high school, and only 3.1% attended higher education. 61.7% were married, 48.3% had a monthly income below 150 USD. The prevalence of insufficient FVs consumption in the sample was 86.2%. It was observed that female gender, low education level, and the age group of 20-29 years were associated with inadequate FVs intake (p = 0.010, p = 0.001, and p = 0.006, respectively).

CONCLUSION

There was no association between FVs consumption and cardiovascular risk factors. A prevalence of FVs consumption well below current recommendations was identified. The identified risk factors can serve as a strategy to increase FVs consumption in this population.

Address: Centro de Estudos Avançados em Educação e Formação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Agostinho Neto, Luanda, Angola.; Hospital Militar Principal/Instituto Superior, Luanda, Angola.; Centro de Estudos Avançados em Educação e Formação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Agostinho Neto, Luanda, Angola.; Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.; Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Angola (CISA), Angola.; Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Angola (CISA), Angola.; Health and Technology Research Center (H&TRC), Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Portugal.; Centro de Estudos Avançados em Educação e Formação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Agostinho Neto, Luanda, Angola.; Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Angola (CISA), Angola.

DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v25i1.32

MeSH Terms: Humans, Female, Angola, Adult, Male, Fruit, Cross-Sectional Studies, Middle Aged, Vegetables, Prevalence, Adolescent, Young Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Diet, Risk Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Feeding Behavior