Comparative Study Regarding the Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Among Older Adults Living in Lebanon and Syria

Abstract

The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has been associated with many health benefits. Poor adherence to MedDiet has been found among Lebanese adults, while in Syria, little is known about the adherence to MedDiet. A quantitative research approach was used, and data were collected through convenience sampling. The structure of the survey included the socio-economic and demographic data and the validated 14-point MedDiet assessment tool. The target population included 367 Lebanese and Syrian adults respectively residing in Lebanon and Syria. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the characteristics of the sample population. Adequate adherence MedDiet was determined if the Med-Diet score ≥ 9. Significant differences among the variables and the adherence to the MedDiet were examined using the chi-square test. Approximately 47.42% of participants reported adherence to MedDiet higher than 9, with a mean of 7.98. Lebanese participants, men, and those who are aged between 64 and 67, had higher adherence than Syrian participants, women, and other age groups, respectively. Lebanese participants (7.82 ± 2.32) had slightly higher adherence than Syrian participants (7.31 ± 2.04). Wine, sofrito, vegetables, and olive oil were mostly consumed by participants, with differences in consumption between the Lebanese and Syrian adults. The statistical analysis performed using the chi-square test showed no statistical difference (P>.05) between Lebanese and Syrian participants regarding their consumption of 160 red meat, butter/margarine, and sugary drinks. Future studies in the aged population are required to explore furthermore the adherence to MedDiet in Lebanon and Syria and its impact on health.

Sports nutrition knowledge translates to enhanced athletic performance: a cross-sectional study among Lebanese university athletes

“…Another predictor of the athletic performance was the lean muscle mass, which has a strong positive correlation with the resting metabolism, HGS and iron intake, but is negatively correlated with energy intake. The muscle mass is determined by the protein status of an individual, and for activity of the muscle cell, iron is very important (American Dietetic Association et al, 2009;Karam et al, 2022b). Our findings were in agreement with a previous study showing a significant correlation between NK and NP scores of athletes (Hornstrom et al, 2011), but in disagreement with Torres-McG ehee et al (2012) research.…”

“…Another predictor of the athletic performance was the lean muscle mass, which has a strong positive correlation with the resting metabolism, HGS and iron intake, but is negatively correlated with energy intake. The muscle mass is determined by the protein status of an individual, and for activity of the muscle cell, iron is very important (American Dietetic Association et al , 2009; Karam et al , 2022b).…”

Determinants for adherence to the Mediterranean diet beyond the boundaries: A cross-sectional study from Sharjah the United Arab Emirates

“…For example from the Levant, a study done in Lebanon showed low adherence to MD with a mean score of (4.2) based on a scale of 10 items [30]. Similarly, another study showed the majority of Lebanese participants falling between low and moderate adherence and only 13% of study participants with high adherence (11).While in a more recent nding (2022), 47.42% of participants reported high adherence to MD (> 9), with a mean of (7.82 ± 2.32) [31]. Results from European Prospective Investigation into Cancer Italian cohort have shown that only 22% of participants only had high adherence participants [13].…”

A bibliometric analysis of Mediterranean diet on cancer from 2012 to 2021

“…The MD is popular with students, adults, and the elderly (72)(73)(74). The extensive research of the MD in the field of cancer demonstrates its enormous potential for both cancer prevention and treatment.…”