Introduction
High intake of fruit and vegetables and being physically
active are associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases
such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancers [1-5].
Despite interventions to increase physical activity in
the general population, only 30% of US adults aged 18
years or older are sufficiently active during their leisure
time according to recent surveys [6]. National campaigns
such as 5-A-Day have increased awareness of
the health benefits associated with fruit and vegetables;
however, the increase in consumption of these foods
has been relatively modest compared to the decrease in
fat intake [7].
Quality of life (QOL), a conceptualization reflecting an
individual’s physical and mental well-being, has emerged
as an important consideration in disease treatment and
prevention. Research on QOL and physical activity has
predominantly focused on elderly populations or populations
with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases,
arthritis, pulmonary diseases, and cancer [1].
Although evidence consistently suggests a positive association
between physical activity and QOL in these
populations [8,9], the relation may not be reproducible
in younger, disease-free individuals. In comparison to
the physical activity domain, fewer studies have assessed
the impact of fruit and vegetable intake on QOL and most of them were also conducted in diseased populations
[10-14].
Physical inactivity has drawn far less research attention
than physical activity; nevertheless, its adverse
health effects may be as important as the beneficial
effects of physical activity. It was reported that TV
watching, a commonly used indicator of inactivity was
associated with obesity [15,16]. Understanding behavioral
patterns involving nutrition, physical activity, and
inactivity and how they influence QOL is essential to
public health as positive outcomes would provide the
general public with a motivation to adopt healthy lifestyles,
thereby reducing risk and incidence of chronic
diseases. In the current study, we examined the associations
of fruit and vegetables consumption, physical
activity, and inactivity with QOL in a sample of free living
adults in Hawaii.