Design and development of an instrument to measure overall lifestyle habits for epidemiological research: the Mediterranean Lifestyle (MEDLIFE) index

Abstract

Objective: To design and develop a questionnaire that can account for an individual's adherence to a Mediterranean lifestyle including the assessment of diet and physical activity patterns, as well as social interaction. Design: The Mediterranean Lifestyle (MEDLIFE) index was created based on the current Spanish Mediterranean food guide pyramid. MEDLIFE is a twenty-eightitem derived index consisting of questions about food consumption (fifteen items), traditional Mediterranean dietary habits (seven items) and physical activity, rest and social interaction habits (six items). Linear regression models and Spearman rank correlation were fitted to assess content validity and internal consistency. Setting: A subset of participants in the Aragon Workers' Health Study cohort (Zaragoza, Spain) provided the data for development of MEDLIFE. Subjects: Participants (n 988) of the Aragon Workers' Health Study cohort in Spain. Results: Mean MEDLIFE score was 11·3 (SD 2·6; range: 0-28), and the quintile distribution of MEDLIFE score showed a significant association with each of the individual items as well as with specific nutrients and lifestyle indicators (intra-validity). We also quantified MEDLIFE correspondence with previously reported diet quality indices and found significant correlations (ρ range: 0·44-

Learn first, practice second approach to increase health professionals’ nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy

“…Lastly, sections relating to self-efficacy and practice behavior were constructed with reference to Mihalynuk et al 37 . The Mediterranean Diet Score assessment consisted of 21 questions compiled from multiple validated tools 38,39 . All surveys were In all statistical analyses, significance criterion alpha for all tests was 0.05 and a statistical trend was declared when p<0.1.…”

Greater Adherence to a Mediterranean Dietary Pattern Is Associated With Improved Plasma Lipid Profile: the Aragon Health Workers Study Cohort

“…Individuals' total energy and nutrient intakes were derived through a standardized nutrient database (ENDB). 20 24 ) were computed. The details of the indices' development and scoring systems are described elsewhere.…”

“…The details of the indices' development and scoring systems are described elsewhere. [21][22][23][24] Blood and Urine Collection At baseline, participants provided a clinical history, including the occurrence of any clinical events and hospitalizations over the encontraban en el quintil má s bajo de adherencia al patró n de dieta occidental, los que se encontraban en el quintil má s alto presentaron cifras de colesterol unido a lipoproteínas de alta densidad 4,6 mg/dl menores (p < 0,001) y de apolipoproteína A1, 8 mg/dl menores (p = 0,005) y mayor riesgo de mostrar una disminució n del colesterol unido a lipoproteínas de alta densidad (odds ratio = 3,19; intervalo de confianza del 95%, 1,36-7,5; p de tendencia = 0,03). Los participantes con adherencia al patró n de dieta mediterrá nea presentaron cifras de colesterol unido a lipoproteínas de alta densidad 3,3 mg/dl mayores (p < 0,001) y un cociente de triglicé ridos/colesterol unido a lipoproteínas de alta densidad 0,43 veces inferior (p = 0,043).…”

Diet Quality Indices for Nutrition Assessment: Types and Applications

“…The pyramid was used as the basis for the MEDLIFE index [65], which assess adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle. MEDLIFE comprises 28 items covering 3 separate aspects of Mediterranean lifestyle: 15 items assess consumption of various food groups; 7 items focus on traditional Mediterranean eating habits and physical activity and the remaining 6 examine physical activity, rest and social interaction.…”