Changes in adherence to the Mediterranean diet observed in a Spanish population during confinement for the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: Mediterranean diet (MD) is one of the most complete and healthy dietary models according to numerous studies. In this sense, the university stage involves a substantial change in the eating habits of young adults away from the standards associated with MD. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the level of adherence to the MD of a university population sector, establishing relation patterns with the type of population where students reside and digital leisure habits related with video games. Material and methods: This descriptive and transversal research involved 490 university students (M = 22.8 years old; SD = 3.639), using the KIDMED, CESR and CHCV questionnaires for data collection. Results: More than 70% of the sample needed to improve their diet and only 26.1% eat properly. Besides this, the levels of video game addiction showed that 20% of participants stated potential or severe problems. Relations given for accession to the MD, frequency of use of video games and number of games played showed statistical differences, specifying that video games habits have influence in the accession to the MD at the university stage. Conclusion: Given the low percentage of university students who follow a diet of good quality and its relation with video games use, it is vital to create intervention programs which generate an improvement in the alimentation of this sector, as well as the decrease of sedentary leisure time. Adhesión a la dieta mediterránea en estudiantes universitarios y su relación con los hábitos de ocio digital Adherence to Mediterranean diet in university students and its relationship with digital leisure habits

How will the way we live look different in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic? A nutrition survey in Greece

“…Relevant to the observed self-perceived shifts towards a more balanced or a Mediterranean diet-oriented pattern, our findings are in line with other studies conducted in the Mediterranean region (Di Renzo et al, 2020;Rodríguez-Pérez et al, 2020;Rossinot et al, 2020;Sánchez-Sánchez et al, 2020;Tárraga López et al, 2020). Conversely, other web-based surveys conducted in Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Poland, and Saudi Arabia, including the International Online Survey, albeit confirming changes in eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggested an overall deterioration of diet quality (Alhusseini and Alqahtani, 2020;Ammar et al, 2020;Cheikh Ismail et al, 2020;Meister, 2020;Sidor and Rzymski, 2020).…”

“…Although there is no robust data yet, findings from an online international survey demonstrate shifts towards a health-compromising direction (Ammar et al, 2020). However, whether eating habits have changed towards a healthier pattern as a result of the anticipated increased consumption of homemade meals due to home confinement is still a matter of concern since the literature shows inconsistent results (Alhusseini and Alqahtani, 2020;Cheikh Ismail et al, 2020;Meister, 2020;Di Renzo et al, 2020;Rodríguez-Pérez et al, 2020;Rossinot et al, 2020;Sánchez-Sánchez et al, 2020;Sidor and Rzymski 2020;Tárraga López et al, 2020).…”

Adherence to a Lifestyle Exercise and Nutrition Intervention in University Employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…It implied the acquisition of healthy habits such as “following a diet low in saturated fat”, “limiting the consumption of sugars and sweets”, “eating 2–4 servings of fruit and 3–5 servings of vegetables a day”, or “limiting the salt intake”. However, when analyzing adherence to the Mediterranean diet using the MEDAS questionnaire, both groups increased their adherence to this diet, as did the general population in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 7 , 8 ], progressing from a low to a medium adherence. However, the IG achieved a clinically significant improvement [ 57 ] on the MEDAS score of 40%, compared to 26% for the CG, with a moderate effect size, reaching a score close to 10, which corresponds to the high adherence category [ 52 ].…”

“…As a negative impact, the number of hours per day sitting has increased between 23.8–28.6% [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ], and physical activity (PA) levels have decreased by 28.8–38% [ 4 , 6 , 7 ], Dietary habits have also been affected. Even if the adherence to the Mediterranean diet has increased slightly [ 6 , 7 , 8 ], the prevalence of snacking and the consumption of alcoholic and carbonated drinks has also increased [ 4 , 7 ].…”

Diet Intervention Study through Telemedicine Assistance for Systemic Nickel Allergy Syndrome Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Regarding the impact of low-nickel diet, we found an improvement in almost all anthropometric indices already after 15 days. Recently, Tárraga López et al explored the usual dietary pattern prior to confinement and assessed the adherence to the Mediterranean diet in 490 Spanish adults without evidence of clinically relevant changes in body composition [41]. A recent Italian online survey by Maffoni et al demonstrated a slight but significant increase in BMI during the COVID-19 pandemic and stratification by lifestyle changes revealed a significant variation in BMI: negative lifestyle changes were correlated with increased BMI and positive lifestyle changes with decreased BMI [42].…”