Association between Mediterranean lifestyle and perception of well-being and distress in a sample population of university Italian students

Quarta, Stefano; Siculella, Luisa; Levante, Annalisa; Carluccio, Maria Annunziata; Calabriso, Nadia; Scoditti, Egeria; Damiano, Fabrizio; Lecciso, Flavia; Pinto, Paula; Garcı́a-Conesa, María Teresa; Pollice, Fabio; Massaro, Marika

doi:10.1080/09637486.2023.2232129

Cited by 3 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…It has also been shown that the emotional outlook of life predicts increases in physical activity among men who were initially inactive [ 44 ]. Furthermore, physical activity and well-being also contribute to better eating habits, especially in younger populations [ 17 , 45 ], which is important later in life. Conversely, low income adds to lower MD adherence, as there is a rise in dietary costs with growing prices of fruits and vegetables [ 46 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, in recent years, some observational studies have linked the MD with a higher quality of life [ 12 , 13 ]. In various cohorts of both older participants [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], younger participants [ 17 ], and mixed ages [ 18 ], adherence to the MD has been associated with a higher quality of life and/or life satisfaction [ 19 ]. In Australian adults, higher intakes of plant foods associated with an MD pattern are positively associated with physical function and general health and negatively associated with depression and perceived stress [ 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring the Relationship between Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Subjective Well-Being among Greek and Cypriot Adults

Deligiannidou,

Philippou,

Vasiari

et al. 2024

Nutrients

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Associations between subjective well-being (SWB) and dietary habits, employment status, and habitual activities are increasingly capturing the focus of researchers as well as policymakers worldwide. This study aimed to explore these associations in a sample of the population in Greece and Cyprus via an online survey. In total, 936 questionnaires (470: Cyprus, 466: Greece) were analyzed to study the associations between the Mediterranean Diet (MD) (using the 14-item MEDAS score, (14-MEDAS)), subjective well-being (SWB), and several socioeconomic factors. Key remarks of this survey highlight the positive impact of MD adherence on some well-being items. Namely, statistically significant differences were found on the following items: Satisfied with life (p < 0.001), Life worthwhile (p < 0.001), Feeling happy (p < 0.001), worried (p = 0.005), and depressed (p = 0.001), when comparing Low MD adherence (14-MEDAS < 5) to High MD adherence (14-MEDAS > 10). Other lifestyle habits such as spending time with friends and family, spending time in nature, and habitual physical activity were associated with aspects of SWB such as Life satisfaction, Life worthwhile, Feeling happy, and energetic. The findings support adherence to the MD, since it is associated with higher life satisfaction and self-reported happiness in this sample and should be considered when developing health policies on well-being.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Relationship between Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Subjective Well-Being among Greek and Cypriot Adults

Deligiannidou,

Philippou,

Vasiari

et al. 2024

Nutrients

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“…The study was designed and conducted in compliance with the Italian rules and regulations governing research practices in psychology, the ethical requirements for research in the field of psychology, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Two previous studies [ 42 , 72 ] were conducted that were mainly focused on physical parameters, including physical activity, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and outdoor leisure time. Consistent with the aforementioned evidence, two inclusion criteria were used in this study to extract the sub-sample, i.e.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The higher the score, the higher the time spent on leisure activities. Previous studies [ 42 , 72 ] have validated the measure.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over the past decade, there has been an increasing interest [ 70 , 71 ] in the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and psychological distress in academic students. Several authors [ [72] , [73] , [74] ] have shown that adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with better mental health and low depressive symptoms (a component of psychological distress).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Physical activity habits prevent psychological distress in female academic students: The multiple mediating role of physical and psychosocial parameters

Levante,

Quarta,

Massaro

et al. 2024

Heliyon

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Adhere to the Chinese dietary guidelines associated with better subjective well-being: evidence from a cross-sectional survey and a daily diary investigation

Lin,

Yang,

Lan

et al. 2024

BMC Public Health

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Background Subjective well-being (SWB) plays an essential role in general health. Although beneficial effects of selected micronutrients and foods on SWB have been reported, they do not reflect the impact of the habitual diet on SWB. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the association between adherence to the Chinese Dietary Guidelines (CDG) with SWB. Methods This study combined a cross-sectional survey and a daily diary investigation. The cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1,433 students from 8 universities in southern China between October and November 2020. The daily diary investigation was conducted in November 2022, collecting 10-day daily data from 115 students at two universities in southern China over ten consecutive days, resulting in 1,020 valid matched daily responses. Adherence to the CDG was assessed by the China Prime Diet Quality Score (CPDQS), SWB was measured by the Index of Well-being (IWB) and the Affect Valuation Index (AVI). Correlation analysis, multiple regression analyses, and hierarchical regression were conducted to examine the associations of adherence to the CDG with its components, and SWB. Results The cross-sectional survey revealed significant predictors of SWB, including adherence to the CDG (β = 0.24, p<0.001) and its components: cereals and tubers (β = 0.07, p = 0.024), vegetables and fruits (β = 0.11, p<0.001), dairy/soy/nuts (β = 0.11, p = 0.002), and condiments and alcoholic beverages (β = 0.08, p = 0.002). The daily diary investigation showed positive associations between adherence to the CDG (β = 0.19, p<0.001), and its components: vegetables and fruits (β = 0.11, p = 0.001), dairy/soy/nuts (β = 0.06, p = 0.009), animal source food (β = 0.06, p = 0.026), and condiments and alcoholic beverages (β = 0.07, p = 0.026), with higher levels of daily SWB. Conclusions Adherence to healthy dietary patterns such as the CDG, rather than focusing on individual components in isolation, is associated with better SWB. Furthermore, the consumption of CDG components had an impact on SWB, although the specific effects varied between the two studies. This study offers modest evidence supporting the role of the CDG in promoting positive mental health.

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Association between Mediterranean lifestyle and perception of well-being and distress in a sample population of university Italian students

Cited by 3 publications

References 74 publications

Exploring the Relationship between Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Subjective Well-Being among Greek and Cypriot Adults

Exploring the Relationship between Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Subjective Well-Being among Greek and Cypriot Adults

Physical activity habits prevent psychological distress in female academic students: The multiple mediating role of physical and psychosocial parameters

Adhere to the Chinese dietary guidelines associated with better subjective well-being: evidence from a cross-sectional survey and a daily diary investigation

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