Reasoned Action Approach Correlates of Fruit and Vegetable Diet Among African American Men Living With HIV: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Epidemiological evidence of the protective role of fruits and vegetables for a host of chronic health conditions is well-documented. However, there is a dearth of studies examining predictors of fruit and vegetable intake among African American men living with HIV. We report secondary analyses—multiple regression and logistic regression models fitted to examine the strength of the relationships between the reasoned action approach constructs; namely, attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms, self-efficacy and intention to consume fruits and vegetables, and self-reported adherence to 5-A-DAY guidelines. We used baseline data from a randomized controlled trial of a physical activity intervention trial with 302 African American men aged 40 years or older ( M = 53.9; SD = 7.2) living with HIV. Attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms, and self-efficacy were positively associated with intention to meet 5-A-DAY guidelines. More positive attitudes toward 5-A-DAY guidelines were associated with higher odds of meeting 5-A-DAY guidelines. More positive attitudes and self-efficacy were also positively associated with meeting the guidelines for intake of vegetable servings and fruit-and-vegetable servings combined. To increase fruit and vegetable intake among African American men living with HIV, interventions should be tailored to address the perceived benefits of consumption.

Effectiveness of a 6-Month Nutrition Intervention in People Living with HIV and Prediabetes Progressing through Stages of Change towards Positive Health Behavior

“…This demonstrates that along with improvement in nutrition knowledge and understanding the link between nutrition and health, based on the health belief model, the participants in the intervention group expressed greater confidence in making changes to promote positive health outcomes compared to the control group. A cross-sectional study conducted by Kelly and colleagues [ 40 ] found that self-efficacy was positively associated with meeting the recommendation guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake among PLWH. They concluded that interventions should target self-efficacy to effectively increase fruit/vegetable intake in PLWH and address the perceived benefits of meeting guidelines.…”

Fruits and vegetables dietary intake and its estimated consumption among adults receiving antiretroviral therapy in health facilities in Northcentral Ethiopia: a multi-facility cross-sectional study

“…Similarly, studies conducted in China and Canada report insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, with 55.2% of the labor force and 40.7% of students falling short of recommended levels, showing no significant differences between urban and rural populations in the proportion of insufficient vegetable intake ( 10 ). A study conducted in Portugal among HIV-infected adults also indicated the low frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption, in which 42.5 and 23.7% of participating individuals consumed FAVs less than once per day ( 11 ). In Africa, studies indicate that only a small proportion of people consume and meet the recommended amount.…”