Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in a School Population in the Principality of Asturias (Spain): Relationship with Physical Activity and Body Weight

Abstract

The Mediterranean diet (MD), despite its multiple benefits, presents low levels of adherence among children. Moreover, childhood is a key stage in the acquisition of healthy habits. The aim of this study was to describe adherence to MD in school-age children from Asturias, Spain, and to evaluate the association with weight status and several lifestyle behaviors. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 309 children aged between 8 and 13 years old. The level of adherence to MD was evaluated through the KIDMED questionnaire. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between adherence to MD and weight status, frequency of out-of-school exercise, frequency of school canteen attendance, and sleep habits. We found that 54.4% of children had optimal adherence to MD and 29.9% of the sample was overweight or obese. Frequency of exercise practice was positively associated with optimal adherence to MD (95% CI: 1.02, 1.33). A positive association was found between some KIDMED items and frequency of out-of-school exercise practice and attendance at the school canteen. This study shows the need for an improvement in the adherence to MD in youth considering the concomitant occurrence of other related healthy behaviors.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Its Association with the Level of Physical Activity in Fitness Center Users: Croatian-Based Study

“…A recent Spanish study on university students determined that there is a significant association between adherence to the MD and both a high level of muscular fitness and high level of cardiorespiratory fitness [28]. Furthermore, two studies conducted on schoolchildren found that subjects who were more physically active also had a higher adherence to the MD [26,27]. The biggest difference of the present study from the aforementioned ones is the studied population.…”

“…Previous studies have shown that the level of fitness is significantly associated with the adherence to the MD [24,[26][27][28]. A recent Spanish study on university students determined that there is a significant association between adherence to the MD and both a high level of muscular fitness and high level of cardiorespiratory fitness [28].…”

“…Moreover, a systematic review with a meta-analysis by Malakou et al found that the promotion of combined MD and physical activity showed a significant metabolic risk reduction [25]. In addition, the results of several Spanish studies have implied that the level of physical activity has a significant correlation with adherence to the MD [26][27][28]. However, MD could have some shortcomings in the physically active population, as the study by Passariello et al has raised the question of whether MD can meet sufficient protein requirements [29].…”

Health Behaviors of Austrian Secondary Level Pupils at a Glance: First Results of the From Science 2 School Study Focusing on Sports Linked to Mixed, Vegetarian, and Vegan Diets

“…Although the combined effect of a healthy diet and PA patterns on individuals’ weight status is known [ 76 ], there is no clear evidence that PA may have had a role in our results on vegetarian’s weight profile, as omnivorous, vegetarian, and vegan participants in this study showed similar habits in sports activities. Regarding healthy dietary patterns, the current Health Behavior of School-Aged Children (HBSC) reports indicate that a considerable number of children and adolescents consume insufficient nutrient-rich foods (e.g., 48% of adolescents neither eat fruits nor vegetables; daily consumption of fruits and vegetables are only 60% and 62%, respectively), which results in the failure of most children and adolescents to meet the healthy nutritional recommendations [ 43 , 44 , 45 ].…”

The Role of Pediatric Nutrition as a Modifiable Risk Factor for Precocious Puberty

“…This cultural dietary pattern is associated with a reduced weight and a lower abdominal adiposity, with a beneficial effect on anthropometric parameters and cardiometabolic risk factors [235].…”