Psychological requirements for increased fruit and vegetable intake in young adults

Purpose – What are the psychological requirements for increasing fruit and vegetable intake in
young people? Psychological theory suggests behaviour modification is driven by ten experiential and
behavioural “processes of change”. However, their role in food choice remains unclear. Some of these
mechanisms may be nothing more than a proxy for self-efficacy, a dominant factor in behaviour
change. Thus, the aim of this study is to delineate the importance of processes of change (POCs) in fruit
and vegetable intake, over and beyond self-efficacy.
Design/methodology/approach – The study was based on a questionnaire survey assessing POCs
and self-efficacy in relation to change in fruit and vegetable intake. Participants were 150 university
undergraduates.
Findings – MANOVA revealed significant differences in both experiential and behavioural
processes across stages of behaviour change. These resources were more copious at advanced stages.
Controlling for self-efficacy via MANCOVA negated stage differences in consciousness raising.
Overall, though, the contribution of experiential and behavioural processes in fruit and vegetable
uptake transcended differentials in self-efficacy. The unique or direct contribution of consciousness
raising requires further investigation.
Research limitations/implications – The findings may not generalise to an older more ethnically
diverse population.
Practical implications – Fruits and vegetables interventions may require a mixture of cognitive,
self-evaluative, and behavioural treatments, over and beyond self-efficacy enhancements.
Originality/value – Although previous studies have demonstrated the importance of POCs in fruit
and vegetable intake this study shows that, at least in young adults, these associations largely
transcend self-efficacy, a key driver in behaviour change.