Temporal trend of adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables and associated factors in schoolchildren aged 7 to 14 years in a capital city in southern Brazil, from 2007 to 2019

Objective This study aimed to verify the trend of adequate fruits and vegetables (FV) consumption and its associated factors in schoolchildren aged 7 to 14 years in Florianópolis, SC, from 2007 to 2019. Methods This was a cross-sectional panel analysis of a total of 7,003 schoolchildren, with the use of anthropometric, sociodemographic, and FV consumption data, collected in three waves during the Prevalence Study of Obesity in Children and Adolescents (EPOCA) conducted during the years 2007, 2012/2013, and 2018/2019. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to test the association between FV consumption and the independent variables. Model adequacy was assessed through tests of global significance, multicollinearity, and calibration. Results A significant temporal association was observed (joint Wald test: χ² = 10.29; p = 0.0058), absence of multicollinearity (mean variance inflation factor [VIF] = 1.55; maximum = 2.22), and good calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow: p = 0.41). Adequate FV consumption was significantly associated with the private school network and the third evaluation wave (2018/2019). Students attending private schools were more likely to report adequate FV consumption than those from public schools. Overall, a reduction in the prevalence of adequate FV consumption was observed between 2007 and 2018/2019. Conclusion These findings indicate a declining trend in adequate FV intake among schoolchildren and highlight disparities between public and private schools, reinforcing the need for continuous strategies to promote healthier dietary patterns in both educational settings.