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Multiple regression analysis revealed that beliefs about consequences and peer social influences were the strongest predictors of intake frequency. Participants who recognised the health benefits of F&amp;V and perceived healthy eating as common among their friends reported higher consumption. These findings were systematically mapped onto the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) to guide the development of future interventions. The results underscore the importance of addressing both individual beliefs and social norms when designing public health strategies. A theory-driven, context-sensitive approach may help increase F&amp;V intake and reduce the burden of diet-related disease in Bulgaria and similar settings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/13591053261444563","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,2]],"date-time":"2026-05-02T14:14:26Z","timestamp":1777731266000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Barriers and facilitators to fruit and vegetable consumption: A TDF-based analysis in Bulgaria"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3001-1061","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Velina","family":"Hristova","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Almeida C Azevedo J Fogel A et al. 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