(P22-15-26) Healthy Diet Perceptions and Drivers of Fruit and Vegetable Food Choices Among Adolescents in Benin: A Qualitative Study

Objectives: Low fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption contributes to preventable mortality and morbidity from non-communicable diseases. Adolescence is a critical period to influence and change dietary choices. We aimed to understand factors that influence F&V food choices and identify barriers and facilitators to modifying F&V consumption among adolescents in Benin.

Methods: We conducted 16 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 126 adolescents in December 2024 in two departments. FGDs were purposively chosen to examine differences between region (north vs south), school location (urban vs rural), adolescent age (12-15 years vs 16-18 years) and sex (boys vs. girls). A combination of deductive and inductive thematic content analysis was performed using Atlas.ti. We summarised findings narratively by drivers of food choice dimensions: intrapersonal, socio-cultural, and food environment.

Results: Overall, adolescents perceived a healthy diet as one composed of balanced meals providing nutrients, vitamins, and strength, and including F&V. At home, adolescents reported eating staples and other vegetables more than other food groups. FGDs with older adolescents, boys, and rural schools reported consumption of animal sourced foods more frequently compared to their respective counterparts.

The most prominent intrapersonal drivers of F&V consumption were knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about the health and nutrition benefits of F&V, taste preferences, and beauty-related goals. The key socio-cultural drivers, particularly among boys, were family and media influences, and social relationships. Among social relationships, peer relationships emerged as a facilitator of F&V consumption with adolescents following the behavior of their peers, whereas regional and religious dietary and cultural practices emerged as barriers. Wide ranging barriers in the food environment such as availability, affordability, convenience, and desirability emerged as barriers to F&V consumption.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that multiple and multilevel factors influence adolescent F&V choices. Interventions that simultaneously address multiple barriers are likely to be more successful in promoting F&V consumption and healthy diets than interventions addressing individual barriers.

Funding Sources: CGIAR Trust Fund