Social and physical environments as determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption among African American men

Introduction. Most African American men consume only ⅓ of the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables (F&V). Low levels of F&V consumption among this population may be partially attributable to the social and physical conditions of the communities in which they grew up and currently live. This presentation examines how these conditions create a constellation of risk factors that may impede F&V consumption. Methods. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data from 7 exploratory focus groups conducted with 57 African American men and 8 exploratory focus groups conducted with 77 African American women in southeastern Michigan. All focus group participants were middle-aged and older adults who discussed predictors of F&V consumption among African American men. Results. Men highlighted their upbringing as a critical determinant of their current F&V consumption. They indicated that being raised in rural communities and having fruit trees and gardens readily available to them shaped their eating habits. Women - primarily female partners of the men they discussed - recognized their own roles and men's health conditions as important determinants of men's F&V consumption. Perceived food availability and time were discussed by both men and women as important predictors of men's F&V consumption. Discussion. These findings suggest that past and current social and physical environments and female partners may play critical roles in men's eating behavior. Considering these influences on men's eating behavior may lead to more effective strategies to improve African American men's F&V consumption.