Trends in adherence to the Mediterranean diet in an Italian population between 1991 and 2006

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate whether adherence to the Mediterranean diet changed during the period [1991][1992][1993][1994][1995][1996][1997][1998][1999][2000][2001][2002][2003][2004][2005][2006] in an Italian population. Subjects/Methods: We derived data from the comparison groups of a network of case-control studies on cancer and acute myocardial infarction conducted in the greater Milan area between 1991 and 2006. Subjects were 3247 adults (1969 women, 1278 men; median age 59 years) admitted to major teaching and general hospitals for a wide spectrum of acute conditions unrelated to long-term modifications of diet. Trained interviewers collected data on selected socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits and other personal and familial factors. Information on diet was collected through an interviewer-administered, reproducible and validated food-frequency questionnaire. We computed a Mediterranean diet score (MDS) on the basis of nine a priori defined peculiar characteristics of the Mediterranean dietary pattern. Results: In multiple linear regression models, adjusted for age, education, place of birth and residence, and total energy intake, there was no significant association between the period of interview and MDS in both sexes. Subjects aged 55-64 years, those with high education, and those born in central and southern Italy showed the highest adherence to the Mediterranean diet in both sexes. Conclusions: In this population, adherence to the Mediterranean diet showed no significant change over the last 15 years.

Association of dietary patterns with insulin resistance and clinically silent carotid atherosclerosis in apparently healthy people

“…Although it is difficult to discriminate the influence on health of habitual physical activity from that of diet, we did not observe any significant independent effect of physical activity on the outcomes considered in our study. Furthermore, our study found that adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern was associated with both a higher level of education and age, thus confirming what was recently reported in Italian cohorts, 44,45 as well as confirming the importance of biosocial influences on dietary habits. This study has several limitations.…”

Mediterranean diet adherence rates in Sicily, southern Italy

“…Indeed, it has been documented in many previous studies that different educational groups have healthier food choices (i.e. more adherent to the MD) probably due to increased nutrition knowledge and increased motivation to follow healthy lifestyles (6,13,(25)(26)(27)(28) . We confirmed the aforementioned trend, since participants in the medium educational category, mostly representative in the urban sample, were more likely to adhere to the MD compared with participants in the lower educational category.…”

Prevalence and Determinants of Tinnitus in the Italian Adult Population

“…The Mediterranean diet, characterized by a high monounsaturated/saturated fat ratio, a relatively high consumption of cereals, legumes, fruit and vegetables, and fish, a moderate consumption of alcohol, and a low consumption of meat and meat products, and milk and dairy products, has been shown to reduce obesity [47], and prevent cardiovascular [48,49], cancer [50], and overall mortality and morbidity [51,52]. In Italy, the level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet is still relatively high [53]. Also habitual diets of Egypt, Iran, and Japan (i.e.…”