Perception and Awareness of Fruit and Vegetable Benefffit Messages in Health Magazine, and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Behavior Among Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University Students

Abstract

This survey research aimed to study perception and awareness of messages about benefits of fruit and vegetable from health magazines and their intake. Study population was Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University students who attended intensive professional seminar before graduation. Four hundred students were drawn by using Krejcie and Morgan sample size table and cluster sampling method. Questionnaire was used for data collection. There were 179 males and 221 females in the sample. Most were 30-39 years of age, had normal weight, and earned 10,001-25,000 Baht a month. Perception of fruit and vegetable benefits from health magazines were found to be low on question item ‘mango, banana, watermelon, papaya, and pineapple were fruits with high carbohydrate and energy’. Awareness of fruit and vegetable benefit messages from health magazines showed 33.4% had answered not sure on question item ‘reading health magazines does not help change my attitude towards increasing fruit and vegetables consumption’. Intake frequency of common vegetables and green leafy vegetables were mostly once or more times a day. The majority had 2 portions of daily fruit and vegetable intake. Sweet fruit consumption frequency was mostly 1-2 times a week. This survey results can be applied in fruit and vegetable consumption promotion through health magazines for maintaining good health and chronic disease prevention among population of similar background.