Project description:Living a healthy life in a supporting environment are key elements towards higher diet quality in older age. The Mediterranean Diet in Older Adults (MINOA) study collected cross-sectional data from adults ≥65 years old (n = 436) from April 2014 to November 2015 in rural Crete, aiming to understand the interrelations between Mediterranean Diet adherence, Social Capital and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL). Multivariate linear regression, carried out using SPSS 20.0, revealed that both Social Capital and HRQL has a positive impact on Mediterranean Diet adherence after adjustment for confounders and independently of each other. Total Social Capital as well as its Value of Life/Social Agency component (β = 0.04 and β = 0.1, p < 0.05, respectively) had a positive relationship with Mediterranean Diet adherence. As far as HRQL is concerned, only the Physical Health components were found to have a positive association with Mediterranean Diet adherence (β = 0.09, p < 0.001). At the same time Total Social Capital was also seen to have a positive relationship with perceived Physical and Mental Health (β = 0.21 and β = 0.28, p < 0.001, respectively). In a population of older adults Social Capital, HRQL and Mediterranean Diet adherence seem to share intricate interrelations that impact both diet quality and quality of life overall.
Project description:There is a growing recognition that social support can potentially exert consistent or opposing effects in influencing health behaviours. The present paper presents a cross-sectional study, including 2,064 adults from Italy, Spain and Greece, who were participants in a multi-centre randomised controlled trial (C4H study), aiming to examine whether social support is correlated with adherence to a healthy Mediterranean diet and physical activity. Social support data were available for 1,572 participants. The majority of the sample reported emotional support availability (84·5 %), financial support availability (72·6 %) and having one or more close friends (78·2 %). Mediterranean diet adherence was significantly associated with emotional support (P = 0·009) and social network support (P = 0·021). No statistically significant associations were found between participant physical activity and the social support aspects studied. In conclusion, emotional and social network support may be associated with increased adherence to the Mediterranean diet. However, further research is needed to evaluate the role of social support in adherence to healthy Mediterranean diet.
Project description:Background/Objectives: The Mediterranean diet (MD) reduces cardiovascular risk, which is higher in celiac disease (CD). We aimed to investigate adherence to the MD in newly diagnosed CD patients, CD patients on a gluten-free diet (GFD), and in a non-celiac control group. Additionally, we aimed to establish an association between GFD and MD adherence. Methods: In this nested, cross-sectional Hungarian study, MD adherence was assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), and GFD adherence was assessed using the Standardized Dietitian Evaluation (SDE). Results: A total of 215 subjects were enrolled, 128 of which were CD patients on a GFD for a minimum of 1 year, 24 were newly diagnosed CD patients, and 63 were non-CD healthy control subjects. Although the control subjects had a higher mean MDS, the groups did not differ statistically significantly from each other (CD on GFD: 5.55 ± 1.57, newly diagnosed CD: 5.35 ± 1.81, controls: 6.05 ± 1.73; p > 0.05)-all groups had suboptimal scores. Both CD groups consumed fewer whole grains than the controls (p < 0.001). Adequate GFD adherence was associated with higher MDS (5.62 ± 1.54 vs. 4.71 ± 1.21, respectively; p = 0.009). Conclusions: Our study highlights the low adherence to MD in celiac patients with insufficient consumption of whole grains. Adherence to GFD is associated with better MD adherence, which underlines the role of dietary education during follow-up. Targeted nutritional counseling could improve the quality of diet in CD patients to reduce cardiovascular risk.
Project description:IntroductionThere is evidence, although limited, that the Italian population has been no longer following a Mediterranean dietary pattern. The ARIANNA (Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Italy) project consists of a survey-based cross-sectional study with the objective of gaining a greater knowledge of adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and its main determinants in different age groups of the Italian population.Methods/analysisThe ARIANNA study will involve males and females aged ≥7 years, born and resident in Italy, and proficient in Italian. The voluntary enrolment will be in the period between March 2023 and May 2023. The data, which will include sociodemographic factors and dietary habits, will be collected through a web-based questionnaire. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet will be assessed through the use of two validated score systems: the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index in children and adolescents for participants aged ≤16 years and the Mediterranean Diet Serving Score for participants aged ≥17 years. A review of the scientific literature will be carried out to collect historical data on adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern in the Italian population, which will be compared with those collected within this project.Ethics and disseminationThe ARIANNA study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Istituto Superiore di Sanità. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed papers, leaflets and documents for the general public. A report will be presented to the national policy makers, to give them the tools to implement appropriate intervention to improve, in necessary, the adherence to Mediterranean dietary pattern in Italy.
Project description:The adoption of sustainable dietary models, such as the Mediterranean Diet (MD), can be a valuable strategy to preserve ecosystems and human health. This study aims to investigate in an Italian adult representative sample the adherence to the MD and to what extent it is associated with the self-perceived adoption of a sustainable diet, the consideration of the MD as a sustainable dietary model, and anthropometric and sociodemographic factors. By applying an online survey (n = 838, 18-65 years, 52% female), an intermediate level of MD adherence (median: 4.0, IR: 3.0-4.0) in a 0-9 range was observed. Only 50% of the total sample confirmed the MD as a sustainable dietary model, and 84% declared no or low perception of adopting a sustainable diet. Being female, having a higher income and education level, considering the MD as a sustainable dietary model, as well as the perception of having a sustainable diet were the most relevant factors influencing the probability of having a high score (≥6) of adherence to the MD. This study suggests a gradual shift away from the MD in Italy and supports the need to address efforts for developing intervention strategies tailored to adults for improving diet quality. Furthermore, a public campaign should stress the link between a diet and its environmental impact to foster nutritionally adequate and eco-friendly dietary behaviors.
Project description:Much research suggests that Mediterranean eating habits and lifestyle contribute to counteract the risk of chronic diseases while promoting longevity, but little information is available on the effects of the Mediterranean diet (Med-Diet) on thyroid function, particularly among overweight/obese subjects. Nevertheless, consistent data reported a slight increase in serum levels of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and a higher rate of conversion of thyroxine (T4) to triiodothyronine (T3) in obesity. This cross-sectional study was aimed at investigating the relationship between adherence to the Med-Diet and circulating thyroid hormones in a cohort of overweight/obese subjects from Apulia (Southern Italy). Methods: We studied 324 consecutive outpatient subjects (228 women and 96 men, age range 14-72 years) taking no drug therapy and showing normal levels of thyroid hormones, but complicated by overweight and obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 Kg/m2). The PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea) questionnaire was cross-sectionally administered to assess the adherence to the Med-Diet, and hormonal, metabolic, and routine laboratory parameters were collected. Results: Higher adherence to Med-Diet was found to be inversely related to free T3 (p < 0.01) and T4 (p < 0.01) serum levels. Considering each item in the PREDIMED questionnaire, people consuming at least four spoonfuls of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) per day, as well as those consuming at least two servings of vegetables per day, had lower free T3 levels (p 0.033 and p 0.021, respectively). Furthermore, consuming at least four spoonfuls of EVOO per day was found to be associated to lower free T4 serum concentrations (p 0.011). Multinomial logistic regression models, performed on tertiles of thyroid hormones to further investigate the relationship with Med-Diet, corroborated the significance only for free T4. Conclusion: Increased adherence to the Med-Diet was independently associated to a slightly reduced thyroid function, but still within the reference range for free T3 and T4 serum levels. This first finding in this field opens up a research line on any underlying biological interplay.
Project description:IntroductionOver the last years, many Mediterranean countries, including Italy, have witnessed a shift away from the Mediterranean Diet, thus contributing to the high rates of overweight and obesity. The survey "Adherence to Mediterranean Diet in Italy (ARIANNA)" aimed to evaluate the Adherence to Mediterranean Diet (AMD) and its main determinants in the Italian population.Materials and methodsThis study started on March 2023 and was addressed to adults aged ≥17 years, born and resident in Italy, proficient in Italian. Data are collected electronically through a voluntary, anonymous and self-administered questionnaire on the project website. Univariate and then multivariate logistic regressions were performed to evaluate associations between AMD and demographic characteristics, socio-economic status, health status, and lifestyle.ResultsOn a total of 3,732 completed questionnaires, the 87.70% of the respondents was female and the 71.28% was 17-40 years old. The 83.82% of the respondents had medium AMD, 11.33% low and only 4.85% high. The multivariate analysis revealed that being male (p < 0.001), aged >40 years (p < 0.05), workers (p ≤ 0.001), and unemployed (p < 0.05), determined the probability of having a lower AMD. Vegans and vegetarian's diets positively contributed to a higher AMD (p < 0.001).DiscussionThese results highlighted a medium AMD in the Italian adult participants and suggested the necessity to implement tailored public health intervention strategies to improve food habits.
Project description:Dietary self-control is associated with inter-individual differences in neuroanatomy. Yet, whether such inter-individual differences are also associated with healthier dietary patterns is yet to be determined. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 100 northern Portuguese older community-dwellers were assessed with regards to i) the adherence to a healthy dietary eating pattern - the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), and ii) grey matter density (GMD) of brain regions associated with valuation and dietary self-regulation, the ventromedial (vmPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), through voxel-based morphometry. Healthy food choices were ascertained through the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) where higher scores indicated greater adherence to the MedDiet. Voxel-based morphometry showed that greater grey matter density in the dlPFC and vmPFC associated with a higher adherence to the MedDiet. These results replicate previous links between dietary decision-making measured under laboratory conditions and the neuroanatomy of the brain's valuation and self-control system. Importantly, they shed new light on the potential relevance of inter-individual differences in the neuroanatomy of these two brain regions for adhering to healthier dietary patterns in everyday life.
Project description:Some obese individuals do not present any metabolic alteration and are considered metabolically healthy (MHO). Adherence to high-quality dietary pattern may favor this phenotype. We aimed to evaluate the association between the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and risk of metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) in women. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 2,115 obese women. All patients underwent a medical examination, anthropometric evaluation, bioelectrical impedance, ultrasound measurements of abdominal visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous (SAT) fat, blood sampling and evaluation of adherence to the Mediterranean diet through MEDAS questionnaire. The diagnosis of MHO and MUO was made using the harmonized criteria. A multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, BMI, fat free mass, ultrasound-estimated VAT:SAT ratio, marital status, education, past diet, antidepressant use, family history of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, menopausal status, smoking, and physical activity was used to assess the association between Mediterranean diet and MUO risk. The prevalence of MHO was 21.2% (N = 449). Compared to MUO women, MHO women were younger, had lower BMI and VAT, and had higher fat free mass and SAT. In the multivariable model, the adherence to the Mediterranean diet was not associated with the risk of MUO (OR = 0.91, 95%CI: 0.62; 1.34, P = 0.624). Given the impact of menopause on metabolic health we also carried out the analysis in pre- and post-menopausal women separately. Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower risk of MUO in postmenopausal women (OR = 0.55, 95%CI: 0.31; 0.96, P = 0.034). No association was found in premenopausal women (OR = 1.18, 95%CI: 0.70; 1.99, P = 0.532). In conclusion, adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a better metabolic health in postmenopausal women. Further studies are needed to confirm the ability of the Mediterranean diet in promoting maintenance of the healthy phenotype and reversion from MUO.
Project description:Soccer is the most practiced team sport in the world. Due to the importance of nutrition in soccer performance, controlling the body composition and dietary guidelines of players takes place starting from lower categories. The objective of this study was to evaluate body composition and adherence to the Mediterranean diet of U12 players from a professional soccer team and to identify their dietary weak points. Seventy-one U12 male soccer players participated in the study. Weight, height, percentiles, skinfolds, and body fat were measured by a certified anthropometrist following the procedures recommended by the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry. The Mediterranean diet adherence test (KIDMED) was the questionnaire used to evaluate eating habits. In addition, a comparison was made among field positions. The results showed percentiles and body fat percentages appropriate for their age. Furthermore, the average score on the KIDMED test showed that the players generally adhered well to the Mediterranean diet, although they should improve their consumption of fruits and vegetables, as well as avoid skipping breakfast. Moreover, goalkeepers and defenders had a higher percentile BMI and percentage of fat than midfielders and forwards. In addition, these players had lower KIDMED values than midfielders and forwards. Although U12 soccer players have an appropriate body composition and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, there are differences between the different field positions that should be assessed by coaches, doctors, and nutritionists/dietitians.