{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T05:18:33Z","timestamp":1787980713729,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787788800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000925","name":"National Health and Medical Research Council","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["L3 APP2009340"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["L3 APP2009340"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000925","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["L3 APP2009340"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["L3 APP2009340"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/011kf5r70","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Skin yellowness measured using reflectance spectroscopy can be used as a proxy for \u2018skin carotenoid\u2019 concentration and as a valid estimate of fruit and vegetable intake. However, the association between different ethnic backgrounds, age, sex and self-reported skin colour on skin yellowness is yet to be explored. Methods: This exploratory cross-sectional study used a convenience sample to assess the relationship between skin yellowness (b*), measured using skin reflectance spectroscopy, and fruit and vegetable intakes across different age groups, sex, self-reported Caucasian and Asian ethnicities and self-reported skin colour. Recruited adults were aged \u226518 years who self-reported as Caucasian or of Asian ethnicity (N = 137). Data were collected on skin L*, a*, b* colours using skin reflectance spectroscopy, height, weight, body composition, waist circumference, demographic variables (e.g., age, sex, self-reported skin colour), and dietary intake measured using the online Australian Eating Survey\u00ae (AES\u00ae). Multiple linear regression models were used to investigate factors associated with the dependent variable, skin yellowness (b*). Results: Participants were on average 38.6 (SD = 17.7) years of age, self-reported as female (61%), Caucasian (77%) and met the recommended fruit intake of two serves\/day (mean = 2.1, SD = 1.5) but not the recommended vegetable intake of five to six serves per day (mean = 4.4, SD = 3.1). There were significant associations between skin yellowness (b*) and several independent variables, including combined fruit and vegetable intake, total carotenoid intake, body fat percentage and self-reported skin colour. Conclusions: This study adds additional support for using skin yellowness as a proxy for fruit and vegetable intake when adjusting for self-reported skin colour, age and sex.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu18172804","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T10:58:21Z","timestamp":1787828301000},"page":"2804","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Examining Demographic Variables Associated with Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Skin Yellowness"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9039-2033","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna K.","family":"Jansson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia"},{"name":"Nutrition and Metabolic Health Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7300-7471","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"G\u00f3mez-Mart\u00edn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia"},{"name":"Nutrition and Metabolic Health Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8250-5990","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erin D.","family":"Clarke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia"},{"name":"Nutrition and Metabolic Health Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6036-4282","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marc T. P.","family":"Adam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nutrition and Metabolic Health Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia"},{"name":"School of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3298-756X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Clare E.","family":"Collins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia"},{"name":"Nutrition and Metabolic Health Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organisation (WHO) (2025, July 15). 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