Transtheoretical Model of Change for Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Nutrition education messages about the adequate amount of fruits and vegetables in the diet have the potential to disseminate information the optimum level of fruit and vegetable intake to the population. However, this potential will be effective, only if the audience incorporates these messages. To facilitate the acceptance of nutrition education messages, we need to understand the process of behavior change across different behaviors and cultural/ethnic groups. This book examines the applicability of the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) for fruit and vegetable eating behavior in male North American, Latino and Asian university students. In this study, a 40-item scale was developed to measure the processes of change; stages of change for eating five fruits and vegetables a day were assessed; and the relationship between stages of change and processes of change constructs for fruit and vegetable consumption was examined. Although more research needs to focus on the applicability of the stages of change and processes, this book provides evidence of the value of the Transtheoretical Model in fruit and vegetable eating behavior in the nutrition education arena.