Socioeconomic Determinants of Fruits Consumption Among Students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

Fruits are important components of a healthy diet. They are a good source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and dietary fibers. The study was carried out in the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria with the major objective to analyze the determinants of fruit consumption among students. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 100 students and data were collected with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire. The mean age was 27 years and 52% of the sampled students were male with a mean stipend of (sic)14,511.77 of which about (sic)307 is spent on fruit consumption. Apple was most preferred by the respondents due to taste. The regression analysis indicated that marital status, amount of stipend received, parental education level, availability of fruits, and nature of study were variables that significantly determine consumption of fruits among the students. Provision of physical access by giving space to either the growers or sellers of fruits in the University campus and financial access with more stipends to raise what students spent on the average per months will significantly change their fruits consumption pattern.