RESUMO
Health information correlates of fruit and vegetable intake and of knowledge of the fruit and vegetable recommendations were examined using bivariate and multivariate regressions with data from the 2007-2008 U.S. National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey in the United States and in Puerto Rico. Residents from Puerto Rico had the lowest reported fruit and vegetable intake and the lowest knowledge of the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables to maintain good health, compared with U.S. Hispanics, non-Hispanic Whites, and Blacks. Sixty-seven percent of Puerto Rican residents and 62% of U.S. Hispanics reported never seeking information on health or medical topics. In multivariate analysis, those who never sought information on health or medical topics reported significantly lower fruit and vegetable intake (coefficient = -0.24; 95% CI [-0.38, -0.09]), and were less likely to know the fruit and vegetable recommendations (OR = 0.32; 95% CI [0.20, 0.52]), compared with those who obtained information from their health care providers. Health promotion initiatives in the United States and Puerto Rico have invested in mass media campaigns to increase consumption of and knowledge about fruit and vegetables, but populations with the lowest intake are less likely to seek information. Strategies must be multipronged to address institutional, economic, and behavioral constraints of populations who do not seek out health information from any sources.