podcast

The podcast discusses the impact of health literacy on fruit and vegetable consumption. A study showed a strong connection between health literacy, proactive behavior, social support, and fruit and vegetable intake. A survey of Virginia Tech students found that many students do not meet the daily recommendation for fruit and vegetable intake. Lack of convenience was the main reason given. Only 25% of participants answered all survey questions correctly. The podcast also explores the possible correlation between health literacy and academic achievement. Factors such as race, age, poverty, and education level can influence health literacy. Similarly, factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status can affect fruit and vegetable intake. The podcast suggests implementing a course on health literacy and providing more affordable options for fruits and vegetables on campus to improve health literacy and intake. Welcome back to Proofs to Perspectives. My name is Grant. My name is Jordan. Today we'll be focusing on health literacy's impact on fruit and vegetable consumption. We will be unpacking the results of our survey where we focus on fruit and vegetable intake and a potential correlation between health literacy and academic achievement. So Jordan, when I say health literacy, what are your initial thoughts on the word itself? I think about understanding medical information. Yeah, and you're right. It definitely is that, but it's a lot more. It's the ability to obtain, read, and understand health information provided to make appropriate health decisions and follow clear instructions. Wow, that makes a lot of sense. Yeah, and also people often fail to understand the importance of their decisions that are directly related to their health. For example, when you ate today, you made decisions that could be a direct correlation to your health literacy. Let's take a look at an article published by Cambridge University about health literacy and fruit and vegetable intake. The goal of the study was to see the association between health literacy's sociodemographic characteristics and fruit and vegetable intake. The study showed a strong connection between health literacy, proactive behavior, social support for healthy lifestyles, as well as fruit and vegetable intake. They also noted that for future interventions, focusing on improving one's fruit and vegetable intake, including healthy literacy mechanics, is crucial. We decided to adapt some of the study's survey questions into our own survey for Virginia Tech college students. The survey included 36 Virginia Tech students with questions in order to test their health literacy and fruit and vegetable knowledge. Prior to the questions, we asked them about their fruit and vegetable consumption. 47% of the participants said that they eat two servings of fruit and vegetables daily. They should be eating four to five servings of fruits and veggies a day. So why do you think some students aren't meeting this daily recommendation? Honestly, lack of convenience, the cost, taste, not knowing how to incorporate fruits and veggies into their diet. Also, frankly, not knowing the importance of eating fruits and veggies is a big factor. As you just mentioned, lack of convenience was actually the number one reason for students. 67% of the participants linked this issue to why they don't meet daily recommendations. When you look at the results, Jordan, what do you find to be the most interesting? Well, actually, only 25% of the participants got all of the questions correct. What kind of questions are you asking on the survey? Well, the questions were actually pretty simple. For example, which fruit do you think has a greater nutritional value, kiwi or apple? I mean, initially you'd think an apple because an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, actually, the answer is kiwis. Kiwis have 9% of the macronutrient daily needs, while apples only have 1%. How about we go and test some other people's knowledge? Now it's time for... Preview Speakers! Hey guys, it's Bella, and I am your guest interviewer. Today we'll be interviewing students on the go. Our first question is, how would you describe your fruit and vegetable intake on a daily basis? Okay, on a daily basis, I feel like I do a pretty good job of getting in my fruits and vegetables. Maybe not as much as I want to, but I feel like making them into a smoothie makes it a lot easier to get them in on a daily basis. Next we want to know, do you eat fruits and vegetables with every meal? No, I do not eat fruit with every meal, or vegetables really. I just kind of don't really buy produce, or really keep produce around in my house. What are the biggest reasons that you do or do not eat a lot of fruits and vegetables? Mostly because I think I don't live on campus, or I live on campus and not off campus, and so I kind of just use the excuse of everything that's here is kind of what I can and do eat. I don't know, I also feel like sometimes, okay, actually I'm a big enthusiast of raw veggies and fruit, but sometimes I feel like it gets boring, and I'm like, oh, what kind of recipes can I do? But then recipes require more stuff, and I'm a college student, and that's already really hard. How many cups of fruits and vegetables should you eat daily? Two cups. In total, I'd guess we need about three cups of fruits and vegetables per day. I think I need about one cup of fruits and vegetables per day. I think I need about one cup of fruits and vegetables per day. I would say three cups of fruits and two cups of vegetables in a day. Wow, that was interesting. The daily recommendation for fruits is about two cups a day, and the daily recommendation for vegetables is about three cups a day. In a means of diving more in-depth into a possible correlation between health literacy and academic achievement, I researched on the web to see what I could study or learn, and most of what I found seemed to focus on food consumption and eating habits, but rather overall health and well-being. In a study done by Oxford University, they looked to understand the role of health literacy in the association between academic performance and substance use. And while they concluded that the academic performance and health literacy were both determinants of substance use, there wasn't enough evidence to determine if the answer was truly yes or no, as a wider set of factors needs to be understood. Many of the studies online have generally tailored to focusing on mental health and well-being, while we are aiming to see and understand this connection from a food and nutrition perspective with the health literacy topic as an overall theme. With that being said, I'd like to shift this a bit so I have the opportunity to speak with a machine science PhD professor. It was here when I asked her about what she had thought about health literacy and any possible association with grades and academic performance. The class she teaches is in behavioral theory and health promotion, and she certainly seems to know what she's talking about. Just for fun, I asked her all the questions on our survey, and she knew them all with ease. And when I asked her what her stance was on the possible connection between health literacy and academic performance, she said, absolutely yes. So we believe this to be the case, as literacy in general typically refers to one's ability to read and write. And if someone lacks these fundamental skills often found in the classroom, they're likely to lack some food and nutrition knowledge as well. I do agree with the professor about health literacy having an impact on fruit and vegetable intake, but it goes deeper than that. Health literacy can seem like it is just affected by one's understanding of medical information at a broad point of view. But when you take social determinants into account, health literacy is shifted. The U.S. Department of Health says race, age, poverty, health insurance coverage, educational attainment, language spoken before starting school, and self-reported health all affect one's health literacy. Vice versa, fruit and vegetable intake is affected by more than just your health literacy. According to a study published by the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, intake is affected by age, gender, socioeconomic position, preferences, parental intake, and home availability and accessibility. Even in our survey previously mentioned, we can see evidence of this from students linking lack of affordability, lack of accessibility, and taste preferences to their overall intake. Health literacy and fruit and vegetable intake can go hand in hand, but that does not mean it's always cut and dry. After speaking with my professor, my peers, and reviewing our survey, the answer is certainly quite convoluted. There's no clear yes or no, but it would seem that there's a correlation. As said prior, there are many sides to look at when you take social determinants of health into account. And speaking broadly, it just makes sense. If you're educated, financially stable, and in an environment with a broad range of foods to choose from, your likelihood of eating gluten-dense foods and living a higher quality of life are likely to be higher. And while you might not consider yourself to necessarily be smart, you're likely going to know more about the importance of eating well in comparison to someone who lacks resources, things that we appreciate and think of as fundamental. In order to improve both health literacy and fruit and vegetable intake on campus, we believe Virginia Tech should implement a course about health literacy and fruit and vegetable intake similar to the alcohol awareness course required for incoming freshmen. This way, students come in with similar knowledge on the subject. Virginia Tech should also provide more affordable fruit and vegetable options in all dining halls around campus.