P901 - MORE GREENS, STRONGER STEPS: THE ROLE OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE IN PRESERVING PHYSICAL FUNCTION

P901

MORE GREENS, STRONGER STEPS: THE ROLE OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE IN PRESERVING PHYSICAL FUNCTION

R. Ragozzino^1,*, F. Franceschi¹

¹Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy

Rationale: This study aimed to evaluate the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and self-reported walking difficulties, adjusting for mental health status, sex, and education.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional observational study using a subset of data from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

(BRFSS), a nationwide survey coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between fruit and vegetable intake and the presence of walking difficulties. 

Results: Lower consumption of fruits was significantly associated with higher odds of walking difficulties (OR: 0.948, 95% CI: 0.926–0.971, p < 0.001), as was lower vegetable intake (OR: 0.748, 95% CI: 0.728–0.768, p < 0.001). Mental health status showed a progressive increase in odds across severity levels, with odds ratios ranging from 1.202 (95% CI: 1.142–1.265) to 4.896 (95% CI: 4.706–5.094), all with p < 0.001 except for level 1 (OR: 0.948, 95% CI: 0.885–1.016, p = 0.129) and level 13 (OR: 1.685, 95% CI: 0.817–3.477, p = 0.158).Sex (female vs. male) was associated with decreased odds of walking difficulties (OR: 0.728, 95% CI: 0.711–0.744, p < 0.001). Education level also emerged as a significant predictor: individuals with only primary education (level 6) had substantially higher odds compared to those with university education (reference level 1), while intermediate levels showed a gradient of effect. The model showed acceptable discrimination (AUC = 0.703)

Conclusion: Low fruit and vegetable intake is independently associated with increased odds of walking difficulties, even after controlling for mental health, sex, and education. These findings underlines the role of a healthy diet as a fundamental public health strategy to improve overall functional status and prevent declines in muscle strength and performance.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared