Fruit and vegetable consumption and its contribution to inequalities in life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy in ten European countries

Adája E. Baars (), Jose R. Rubio-Valverde, Yannan Hu, Matthias Bopp, Henrik Brønnum-Hansen, Ramune Kalediene, Mall Leinsalu, Pekka Martikainen, Enrique Regidor, Chris White, Bogdan Wojtyniak, Johan P. Mackenbach and Wilma J. Nusselder ()
Additional contact information
Adája E. Baars: University Medical Center
Jose R. Rubio-Valverde: University Medical Center
Yannan Hu: University Medical Center
Matthias Bopp: University of Zürich
Henrik Brønnum-Hansen: University of Copenhagen
Ramune Kalediene: Lithuanian University of Health Sciences
Mall Leinsalu: Södertörn University
Pekka Martikainen: University of Helsinki
Enrique Regidor: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública
Chris White: Office for National Statistics, Public Policy Analysis Division
Bogdan Wojtyniak: National Institute of Public Health
Johan P. Mackenbach: University Medical Center
Wilma J. Nusselder: University Medical Center

International Journal of Public Health, 2019, vol. 64, issue 6, No 6, 872 pages

Abstract: Abstract Objectives To assess to what extent educational differences in total life expectancy (TLE) and disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) could be reduced by improving fruit and vegetable consumption in ten European countries. Methods Data from national census or registries with mortality follow-up, EU-SILC, and ESS were used in two scenarios to calculate the impact: the upward levelling scenario (exposure in low educated equals exposure in high educated) and the elimination scenario (no exposure in both groups). Results are estimated for men and women between ages 35 and 79 years. Results Varying by country, upward levelling reduced inequalities in DFLE by 0.1–1.1 years (1–10%) in males, and by 0.0–1.3 years (0–18%) in females. Eliminating exposure reduced inequalities in DFLE between 0.6 and 1.7 years for males (6–15%), and between 0.1 years and 1.8 years for females (3–20%). Conclusions Upward levelling of fruit and vegetable consumption would have a small, positive effect on both TLE and DFLE, and could potentially reduce inequalities in TLE and DFLE.

Keywords: Socioeconomic inequalities; Fruit and vegetable consumption; Total life expectancy; Disability-free life expectancy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1007/s00038-019-01253-w

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