Nutrition Knowledge as a Driver of Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Italy

Abstract

BackgroundAn optimal Nutrition knowledge (NK) among the population could result in greater Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (AMD), a recognized dietary pattern capable of preventing chronic food-related diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the association between NK and AMD in Italy.MethodsA national representative sample of 2,869 adults took part in an assessment that was carried out through a self-administrated questionnaire including sections relating to NK and AMD. AMD was evaluated following the PREDIMED PLUS methodology. Descriptive statistics were provided, and ordinal measures of NK score and AMD were calculated based on quartiles of the quantitative scores. A contingency analysis was performed to check associations between variables.ResultsIn Italy, the average NK score was 50 ± 13.3, equivalent to 56.8% of correct answers. The average value of AMD was 6.8, corresponding to 40% of the maximum score with 31.4% of the population demonstrating low AMD, 31.3% in the lower-middle range, 24% in the medium-high range, and only 13.3% reporting a high AMD. A significant association between NK and AMD was found; respondents who reported the lowest AMD corresponded to those with the lowest NK (36.7%; p < 0.05) and similarly, those with the highest level of adherence to MD also achieved the highest NK scores (41.7%; p < 0.05).ConclusionThis study showed that AMD in Italy is generally low, and the strong association between NK and AMD demonstrated that there is a clear connection between a healthy dietary pattern and the nutrition literacy of the population. Those with the highest AMD corresponded to the highest NK and, conversely, those with the lowest AMD displayed the lowest NK. The study also highlighted that socioeconomic aspects were strong determinants of both AMD and NK.

The effect of nutritional and lifestyle education intervention program on nutrition knowledge, diet quality, lifestyle, and nutritional status of Croatian school children

“…This study showed that even at the study baseline, there were statistically more children who scored better for NK and whose diet adhered to MD, as well as significant improvement in diet quality toward better adherence to MD at the 6-to 9month follow-up. These results are important because a recent Italian study among 2,869 adults showed that a healthy dietary pattern such as the Mediterranean diet is closely linked to the literacy of the population in terms of better nutrition knowledge (Aureli and Rossi, 2022), which confirms the necessity for early nutrition education with the aim to be maintained in adulthood and consequent influence on better health. This is important since there is established distancing from inherited MD that has undesirable effects not only on health but also on social, cultural, economic, and environmental trends in the Mediterranean region (International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies/Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2015).…”

Adherence to Mediterranean diet in Italy (ARIANNA) cross-sectional survey: study protocol

“… 11 12 In fact, several surveys of the Italian population have shown a gap in adherence to MD between young and adult individuals and a higher adherence in adults. 13–15 On the other hand, other recent studies have found no association between MD adherence and age, 7 and no difference in MD adherence according to the age. 10 Thus, the exact magnitude of MD drop-out is not known and, above all, it is unclear which age groups show this phenomenon most strongly on a national scale.…”

“…Two recent studies available on the young Italian population reported respectively that only 5% of primary school children and 16% of high school students have good adherence to MD 11 12. In fact, several surveys of the Italian population have shown a gap in adherence to MD between young and adult individuals and a higher adherence in adults 13–15. On the other hand, other recent studies have found no association between MD adherence and age,7 and no difference in MD adherence according to the age 10.…”

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food habits and neophobia in children in the framework of the family context and parents’ behaviors: A study in an Italian central region

“…The questions on eating habits, physical activity, and lifestyle were taken from the National Statistics Multi-purpose Survey on Families: Aspects of Daily Life (44) and from the surveillance system on overweight and obesity and related risk factors carried out every 2 years in children of primary schools (45). These questions were used in other studies carried out in Italy (46)(47)(48). Food Neophobia was quantified with the Child Food Neophobia Scale (CFNS) developed by Pliner (49) and validated in Italy by Laureati et al (50).…”