Table 3

Proportion (%, 98% CI) of students who eat fruit at least once daily by survey, gender and age group

Proportion (%) of students eating fruit at least once daily

Girls

1988

1991

1994^c

1998^c

2002^c

2006^c

2002^ac

2006^ac

n = 854

n = 928

n = 2,030

n = 2,624

n = 2,476

n = 3,187

n = 2,476

n = 3,187

Age 11

77.5 (71.0–83.2)

75.8 (69.4–81.5)

78.3^b (74.3–82.0)

69.1^b (65.4–72.6)

42.6^b (38.8–46.5)

51.1^b (47.7–54.5)

58.0^b (54.1–61.8)

69.8^b (66.7–72.9)

Age 13

78.3 (72.1–83.7)

70.3 (63.9–76.2)

71.0^b (66.9–74.9)

66.6^b (62.9–70.2)

36.7^b (32.8–40.8)

46.3^b (42.8–49.8)

55.5^b (51.4–59.6)

62.9^b (59.5–66.3)

Age 15

75.1 (68.8–80.7)

67.9 (61.6–73.7)

63.0^b (58.5–67.3)

58.4^b (54.3–62.5)

35.8^b (31.8–40.0)

46.2^b (42.2–50.2)

52.3^b (48.0–56.6)

63.6^b (59.7–67.4)

Boys

1988

1991

1994^c

1998^c

2002^c

2006^c

2002^ac

2006^ac

n = 813

n = 932

n = 2,016

n = 2,531

n = 2,348

n = 3,082

n = 2,348

n = 3,082

Age 11

71.8 (64.8–78.1)

70.0 (63.4–76.0)

67.4 (62.9–71.7)

58.3 (54.3–62.2)

33.4 (29.6–37.3)

39.3 (36.0–42.8)

49.6 (45.6–53.7)

55.0 (51.5–58.4)

Age 13

70.8 (64.2–76.9)

61.9 (55.4–68.0)

58.8 (54.4–63.2)

59.1 (55.3–62.9)

24.7 (21.2–28.4)

35.9 (32.6–39.4)

37.2 (33.2–41.3)

50.3 (46.8–53.9)

Age 15

74.8 (68.1–80.8)

63.9 (57.0–70.3)

49.3 (44.8–53.8)

47.2 (42.9–51.4)

17.3 (14.1–20.9)

27.6 (24.1–31.4)

29.2 (25.3–33.4)

41.3 (37.3–45.3)

a. Alternative cut-point for categorisation of 'eating fruit at least once daily' also including students eating fruit 5–6 days a week (every day, more than once + once a day, every day + 5–6 days a week)

b. Significant gender difference within each age group (chisquare test, p< 0.02)

c. Significant trend in prevalence by age (Cochrane-Armitage tests for trend, p < 0.02)

Rasmussen et al. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2008 5:6   doi:10.1186/1479-5868-5-6