Definition: The percentage of the population aged 12 or older who reported consuming fruit and vegetables less than five times per day.
Rationale for measurement: Reporting on fruit and vegetable consumption patterns across the country allows for monitoring of progress in promoting healthy eating and helping to identify areas and populations that would benefit from increased prevention efforts.
Measurement timeframe: Years 2015-16 combined
Denominator: Total population aged 12 years and older
Numerator: Number of individuals aged 12 years and older reporting consuming fruits and vegetables less than five times daily
Exclusion criteria:
Individuals aged < 12 years old were excluded.
Individuals who responded “Don’t know”, “Not stated”, “Refusal” to the relevant questions were exclude.
Data availability: All provinces and territories
Stratification: By jurisdiction
Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (CANSIM table 105-0509)
Data retrieval date: January 2018
Variables details: Not applicable
Notes from jurisdictions: Not applicable
Methodology notes:
Data were downloaded from CANSIM table for the Canadian Community Health Survey data, which are based on a representative sample and then is extrapolated to the overall population.
Daily consumption of fruit and vegetable is measured the total number of times (frequency) consumed for the last month at the time of interview. The types of fruit and vegetable include fruit juice (not fruit-flavored drinks or fruit punch), fruit, dark vegetable, potatoes (not deep fried), orange-colored vegetable, and other vegetable.
This indicator serves as a proxy measure of the percentage of the population consuming the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables daily, as the CCHS measures only the number of times fruit and vegetables are consumed daily (frequency), not the amount consumed (servings).
Changes to definition compared to previous years: Not applicable
