We assessed if a 17-item score capturing adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) was associated with better health-related quality of life among older Spanish men and women with overweight or obesity harboring the metabolic syndrome. We analyzed baseline data from 6430 men and women (age 55–70 years) participating in the PREDIMED-Plus study. PREDIMED-Plus is a multi-centre randomized trial testing an energy-restricted MedDiet combined with promotion of physical activity and behavioral therapy for primary cardiovascular prevention compared to a MedDiet alone. Participants answered a 36-item questionnaire about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and a 17-item questionnaire that assessed adherence to an MedDiet. We used ANCOVA and multivariable-adjusted linear regression models to compare baseline adjusted means of the quality of life scales according to categories of adherence to the MedDiet. Higher adherence to the MedDiet was independently associated with significantly better scores in the eight dimensions of HRQoL. Adjusted differences of > = 3 points between the highest and the lowest dietary adherence groups to the MedDiet were observed for vitality, emotional role, and mental health and of > = 2 points for the other dimensions. In conclusion, this study shows a positive association between adherence to a MedDiet and several dimensions of quality of life.

Pregnancy adherence to the MD was not associated with childhood overweight risk, but it was associated with lower WC, a marker of abdominal obesity.

BackgroundThe food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is the most efficient and cost-effective method to investigate the relationship between usual diet and disease in epidemiologic studies. Although FFQs have been validated in many adult populations worldwide, the number of valid FFQ in preschool children is very scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of a semi-quantitative FFQ designed for children aged 4 to 5 years.Materials and methodsIn this study, we have included 169 children aged 4–5 years from the INMA project in Valencia, a population-based prospective cohort study of mothers and children in Spain. The 105-items FFQ was administered twice to the parents or care-givers of children over a 9-month period. Reproducibility was explored by comparing intake of nutrients by the FFQs, while validity was examined by comparing the nutrient values from the FFQs with the average nutrient values of three 24 hour dietary recall (24hDR) taken in the period, and also, with the concentration in blood specimens for several vitamins (carotenoids, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin C and α-tocopherol). Pearson correlation coefficients and de-attenuated correlation coefficients were calculated and we also evaluated misclassification by quintile distribution.ResultsAll correlation coefficients for reproducibility for nutrients and major food groups were statistically significant; the average correlation coefficients for daily intake were 0.43 for food groups and 0.41 for nutrients. The average correlation coefficients for validity for daily intakes against 24hDR was r = 0.30, and the average for de-attenuated correlation coefficients was r = 0.44. When evaluating validity against the blood concentration of vitamins, statistically significant correlations were observed for vitamin C (0.35), lycopene (0.31), β-Cryptoxantin (0.40), and vitamin E (0.29); the average of correlation coefficients was r = 0.21.ConclusionDespite some low to moderate correlations for reproducibility and validity, overall this study suggests that the FFQ may be a good method for assessing a wide range of food groups and nutrients intake in children aged 4–5 years.

Dietary polyphenol intake is associated with improvement of metabolic disturbances. The aims of the present study are to describe dietary polyphenol intake in a population with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and to examine the association between polyphenol intake and the components of MetS. This cross-sectional analysis involved 6633 men and women included in the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterranea-Plus) study. The polyphenol content of foods was estimated from the Phenol-Explorer 3.6 database. The mean of total polyphenol intake was 846 ± 318 mg/day. Except for stilbenes, women had higher polyphenol intake than men. Total polyphenol intake was higher in older participants (>70 years of age) compared to their younger counterparts. Participants with body mass index (BMI) >35 kg/m2 reported lower total polyphenol, flavonoid, and stilbene intake than those with lower BMI. Total polyphenol intake was not associated with a better profile concerning MetS components, except for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), although stilbenes, lignans, and other polyphenols showed an inverse association with blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and triglycerides. A direct association with HDL-c was found for all subclasses except lignans and phenolic acids. To conclude, in participants with MetS, higher intake of several polyphenol subclasses was associated with a better profile of MetS components, especially HDL-c.

Summary Background Identifying modifiable lifestyle behaviors linked to childhood obesity is necessary to develop preventive strategies. Objective To estimate the association of five lifestyle behaviors in children aged 4 years on obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors at age 4 years and on obesity and blood pressure at age 7 years. Methods We used child lifestyle data from the INMA project at age 4 years (n = 1480). We constructed a child lifestyle score by summing five behaviors (physical activity, sleep time, television time, plant based foods and intake of ultra‐processed foods) and we categorized it into tertiles. At ages 4 and 7 years, we calculated age‐ and sex‐specific z‐scores for BMI, waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure. At age 4, we also calculated age‐, and sex‐, specific z‐scores for triglycerides and HDL. We used linear and logistic regression analyses. Results The lifestyle score was not associated with the outcomes at 4 years, but it was negatively associated with BMI and WC z‐scores at age 7 years. Children at age 4 years in the highest tertile of the score had lower risk of overweight or obesity at age 7 years (OR = 0.61; 95% CI 0.39; 0.96) and abdominal obesity (OR = 0.48; 95% CI 0.24; 0.96). Conclusions Higher adherence to a healthy lifestyle at age 4 years decreased risk of overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity at 7 years.

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Background/Objectives: A higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet has been shown to be protective against obesity in adults, but the evidence is still inconclusive in children at early ages. Our objective was to explore the association between adherence to Mediterranean Diet at the age of four and the prevalence of overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity at four years of age, and incidence at the age of eight.Subjects/Methods: We analysed data from children of the INMA cohort study who attended follow-up visits at age four and eight years (n=1801 and n=1527, respectively). Diet was assessed at the age of four using a validated food frequency questionnaire. The adherence to MD was evaluated by the relative Mediterranean diet (rMED) score, and categorized as low (0-6), medium (7-10) and high (11-16).Overweight and obesity were defined according to the age-sex specific BMI cutoffs proposed by the International Obesity Task Force, and abdominal obesity as waist circumference >90 th percentile. We used Poisson regression models to estimate prevalence ratios at four years of age, and Cox regression analysis to estimate hazard ratios (HR) from four to eight years of age. Results:In cross-sectional analyses at the age of four no association was observed between adherence to MD and overweight, obesity, or abdominal obesity. In longitudinal analyses, a high adherence to MD at age four was associated with lower incidence of overweight (HR=0.38; 95%CI: 0.21-0.67; p=0.001), obesity (HR=0.16; 95%CI: 0.05-0.53; p=0.002), and abdominal obesity (HR=0.30; 95%CI: 0.12-0.73; p=0.008) at the age of eight. Conclusion:This study shows that a high adherence to MD at the age of four is associated with a lower risk of developing overweight, obesity, and abdominal

In this study, coffee consumption was associated with lower CVD mortality in elderly. Although this association should be further investigated, coffee consumption appears to be safe for the elderly since no increased mortality was observed in coffee drinkers.