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Community and Public Health Nutrition

Category: Community and Public Health Nutrition (II) (Poster Session)

Community and Public Health Nutrition (II) (Poster Session)

(P19-02-26) Association Between Fruit and Vegetable Dietary Intake Measured by Skin Carotenoids and Blood Pressure Among Adults Attending Community Health Fairs

Sunday, July 26, 2026
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM ET
Location: Poster Board G-43
Disclosure(s):
Mary Adebimpe Adewoye, MS: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Lisa A. Spence, PhD, RD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: Dietary intake of fruit and vegetables is measured non-invasively using the Veggie Meter® which uses reflection spectroscopy to assess carotenoid levels in the skin as an objective biomarker of fruit and vegetable intake. To extend knowledge about the role of dietary intake of fruit and vegetables on blood pressure regulation, this study examined the association between skin carotenoid scores and blood pressure among adults attending community health fairs.

Methods: Cross-sectional study. Adults aged ≥18 years were assessed at health fairs. Skin carotenoid scores were measured using a Veggie Meter® (Longevity Link, UT; range: 0–800), and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure using an automated sphygmomanometer, (A&D Medical, San Jose, CA; Model UA-651). Pearson correlations and multiple linear regression models adjusted for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and race/ethnicity (modeled as a categorical variable) were used to assess associations using R version 4.5.2. Significance was set at p< 0.05.

Results: Among 102 adults (age 55.6 ± 16.9 years), SBP and DBP were 130.0 ± 16.9 and 82.7 ± 9.1 mmHg, respectively; 77.5% had blood pressure above normal (SBP >120 mmHg or DBP >80 mmHg). The skin carotenoid score was 266 ± 91.1, with 73.5% of participants classified as having low scores ( < 300). Age (β = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.63; p < 0.001) and race/ethnicity (Black; reference category White) (β = 13.97, 95% CI: 6.86, 21.08; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with SBP, while only race/ethnicity (Black) (β = 4.95, 95% CI: 0.50, 9.40; p = 0.03) was significantly associated with DBP. Skin carotenoid score was not significantly correlated with SBP (r = −0.11, p = 0.26) or DBP (r = −0.03, p = 0.79), and these associations remained non-significant in adjusted models (n = 86; SBP: β = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.05, 0.01; DBP: β = −0.01, 95% CI: −0.03, 0.01).

Conclusions: Skin carotenoid score, representing fruit and vegetable intake, was not associated with blood pressure in this cross-sectional sample. However, data collection is ongoing to reach the a priori powered sample size of N=542.

Funding Sources: No external funding