Objective  To construct a structural equation model (SEM) for describing the correlation of fruit and vegetable intake behaviors with psychological and social factors among adolescents and to explore the extent and mechanism of psychological and social influences on the behaviors.

  Methods  We conducted a questionnaire survey among 1 858 students (mean age = 15.06 ± 4.39 years) selected in two high schools in Hangzhou and Jiaxing city of Zhejiang province with stratified random cluster sampling in May 2015. Information on fruit and vegetable intake behaviors and related psychological and social factors were collected among the students. SEM was constructed to analyze the influences of potential variables on the stage of fruit and vegetable intake behavior.

  Results  The constructed model exhibited a good fit to the data collected, with a comparative fit index (CFI) of 0.941 and a root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) of 0.032. The corrected model demonstrated that friend support and positive attitude only affected the stage of fruit and vegetable intake behavior indirectly, with the effect value of 0.070 and 0.166; in contrast, negative attitude and self-efficacy only affected the stage of fruit and vegetable intake behavior directly, with the effect value of – 0.096 and 0.252; while, family support and change in strategy affected the stage of fruit and vegetable intake behavior both directly and indirectly, with the total effect value of 0.134 and 0.161. The influence of psychological factors on the stage of fruit and vegetable intake behavior was much greater than that of social factors.

  Conclusion  Structural equation model can be well used to assess the influences of psychological and social factors on fruit and vegetable intake behaviors among adolescents quantitatively.