The objective was to describe the association between fruit and vegetable consumption in mothers and children. 572 girls and 528 boys in grades 4-6 were recruited from 24 elementary schools in low-income, multiethnic neighbourhoods in Montreal, Canada. Dietary data were collected in food frequency questionnaires completed by both mothers and children and were analyzed using the proportional odds model. Ten percent of girls and 20% of boys had not eaten any vegetables in the week prior to questionnaire administration ; 54% of girls and 63% of boys did not consume fruit daily. Both fruit and vegetable consumption in children were associated with consumption in their mothers (OR: 1.12 CI: 1.04, 1.20 and OR: 1.13 CI: 1.05, 1.22 for fruit and vegetable consumption respectively). Because of the association between consumption in children and mothers, interventions to improve fruit and vegetable consumption should be improving awareness among parents of the importance of fruit and vegetables, as well as the potential role modeling impact of their own behaviour on that of their children.

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