Psychosocial factors and dietary habits associated with vegetable consumption

OBJECTIVE: We assessed scales of psychosocial factors and dietary habits related to vegetable consumption and examined associations of these scales with vegetable intake. METHODS: Data are from 838 adults who participated in a 1997 to 1998 Washington State random digital-dial survey designed to monitor attitudes and behavior related to cancer risk and prevention. Information was collected on psychosocial factors related to vegetable consumption, vegetable-related dietary habits, demographic (participant) characteristics, and vegetable intake. Factor analyses were used to identify the underlying dimensions in the psychosocial and dietary habits scales. Analyses of variance, linear regression, and Pearson’s correlations examined associations among participant characteristics, psychosocial factors, dietary habits, and vegetable consumption. RESULTS: Factor analyses of the psychosocial scale suggested four coherent dimensions or subscales—importance of eating vegetables, health benefits, convenience and taste of raw vegetables, and taste of cooked vegetables—with good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.67–0.77). There were four subscales within the dietary habits scale—add vegetables to mixed dishes, include vegetables at lunch and dinner, eat raw vegetables, and eat salads—with fair internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.37–0.61). The psychosocial factors and dietary habits were strongly correlated (summary scales Pearson’s r = 0.55), and after adjustment for participant characteristics, both scales were significantly and positively associated with vegetable intake (Pearson’s r = 0.45 and 0.54, respectively, for summary scales; all Ps < 0.001). Further, the scales explained between 14% and 23% of the variance in vegetable intake. CONCLUSIONS: These scales of psychosocial factors and dietary habits related to vegetable consumption could be used to target intervention messages and evaluate intervention effects.