Factors associated with a low adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern in healthy Spanish women before pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the factors associated with the level of adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern in healthy Spanish women before pregnancy. Design: A prospective series of 1175 women. An FFQ validated in Spanish populations served to collect dietary data. The Mediterranean Diet Adherence Index was used to assess the level of adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern. Polytomic regression was performed to identify the associated factors. Setting: Catchment area of Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Andalusia, Spain. Subjects: The women were invited to participate in the study at the 20th-22nd gestational week. The selection criteria were: Spanish nationality, 18 years of age or older, singleton pregnancy and absence of health problems that required modifying the diet or physical activity. Results: An inverse relationship was found between women's age and level of adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern, with a clear dose-response association: a younger age entailed worse adherence (P , 0?001). The habit of smoking and sedentary lifestyle had a positive relationship with low adherence, giving OR 5 5?36 (95 % 1?91, 15?07) for women who smoked .20 cigarettes/d and OR 5 2?07 (95 % CI 1?34, 3?17) for sedentary women. Higher age, higher educational level, and higher social class of the women were associated with a higher level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (P , 0?001). Conclusions: In our sample population, younger age, lower social class, primary educational level and elements of an unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking and lack of exercise were associated with low adherence to a Mediterranean diet.

Proposal of a Mediterranean Diet Serving Score

“…In the present study, age was the main influential factor in MD adherence, as reported by other researchers [ 34 – 36 ]. The younger participants tended to follow a less healthy dietary pattern such as the Western diet, as reported in other studies [ 37 – 39 ].…”

Partner smoking influences whether mothers quit smoking during pregnancy: a prospective cohort study

“…In the unadjusted and adjusted models, the adherence to a Mediterranean diet increased the probability of quitting smoking during pregnancy. This is in line with previous research showing that smoking and a lack of exercise were associated with a lower adherence to a Mediterranean diet before pregnancy, and that in the adult population, being a current smoker was associated with a lower adherence to a Mediterranean diet …”

Low fruit consumption and folate deficiency are associated with LINE-1 hypomethylation in women of a cancer-free population

“…Benefits of high adherence to MD and of adequate folate intake are reported in the general population (Sofi et al 2010 ; Couto et al 2011 ; Tamura and Picciano 2006 ), and particularly in women of childbearing age, because of the effect of diet on their health and well-being, on pregnancy outcome, and on newborns’ health (Tamura and Picciano 2006 ; Barchitta et al 2014b ; Olmedo-Requena et al 2013 ). Besides, recent studies provide evidence for a beneficial role of the MD on endometrial (Filomeno et al 2015 ) and breast cancer risk (Buckland et al 2013 ; Castellò et al 2014 ).…”