Fruit and vegetable consumption varies by demographics of children participating in the CSFII 1994--1996, 1998

A national sample was used to identify demographic characteristics of children not meeting the guidelines for eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Chi-square analyses and a logistic regression evaluated demographic characteristics and fruit and vegetable consumption of 2 to 5 year-olds in the CSFII 1994–1996, 1998. Urbanization and participation in a childcare program and the Food Stamps Program were not significantly related to the children's fruit and vegetable consumption. The results of this study indicate that household income, ethnicity, geographical region where the children live, and whether the child's family is receiving WIC benefits should be considered when designing nutrition education interventions focusing on fruit and vegetable intake of preschool aged children. Thus, by obtaining greater detail about the population in need, health education programs can be targeted to a more specific audience so as to move closer to achieving the Healthy People 2010 Health Objectives for the Nation for nutrition.