Predicting intentions to meet fruit & vegetable recommendations among black emerging adult women

Objective:To examine Black emerging adult women's (ages 18-29) intention to meet the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).Participants:Black emerging adult women (BEAW; N = 100).Methods:A cross-sectional survey design.Results:Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that in Model 1, attitudes (p<.0001) and subjective norms (p<.05) were significant predictors of intentions to meet the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. In Model 2, attitudes (p=.0001) and perceived behavioral control (p<.0001) were revealed to be significant predictors of intentions. The change in R squared from Model 1 (R2=.304) and Model 2 (R2=.559), was 0.255 (F = 40.08,p<.0001) with the addition of perceived behavioral control to the second model.Conclusion:The TPB may be a suitable framework to assess factors associated with fruit and vegetable intentions among BEAW. Interventions designed to increase fruit and vegetable intake in BEAW should prioritize modifying perceived behavioral control.