Food safety is a key determinant of fruit and vegetable consumption in urban Beninese adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption in urban Beninese adolescents and elements to develop a school-based fruit and vegetable program. DESIGN: Sixteen focus groups conducted with a key word guide. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two private and 2 public secondary schools in Cotonou, Benin. One hundred fifty-three students aged 13 to 19 years, 54% girls. ANALYSIS: The focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed. Three a priori categories from the Social Cognitive Theory were used for the coding: socioenvironmental, personal, and behavioral factors. Additionally, the data were checked to determine whether new categories should be created. RESULTS: Major determinants in the school were availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and the competition of unhealthful foods. Food safety emerged as a strong barrier to the adolescents' fruit and vegetable consumption outside home and particularly at school. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Except for food safety, the determinants of fruit and vegetable intake in Beninese adolescents were similar to those in high-income countries. The food safety of fruits and vegetables outside home is a key issue to be studied in detail and integrated in any intervention in Benin and potentially other low- and middle-income countries.

Factors predicting consumption of fonio grain (Digitaria exilis) among urban Malian women of reproductive age.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors influencing intention to consume an indigenous nutritious grain, fonio (Digitaria exilis), among women in Mali. DESIGN: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey based on the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Health Belief Model. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and eight women (31.5 ± 10.5 years), randomly selected by a 3-stage cluster sampling, Bamako, Mali. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Model constructs scores, intention to consume fonio, and fonio consumption. ANALYSIS: Correlation and multiple regression, Wilcoxon signed rank and Mann-Whitney tests for score comparison. RESULTS: Attitudes toward behavior (ß = .32, P < .05) was the best predictor of intention to consume fonio, which was significantly correlated with fonio consumption (rho = .78, P < .001). Health value (ß = .23, P < .05) was a significant predictor of health behavior identity, which was significantly correlated with attitudes toward behavior (rho = .67, P < 0.001) and perceived barriers (rho = .33, P < .001). The latter formed a significant interaction term between intention and behavior (ß = -.72, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Fonio consumption could be increased in Bamako through stimulation of positive attitudes, changing men's beliefs, influencing family and neighbors' opinions, and improving the processing and the skills of women who prepare fonio.