Mediterranean diet and mental distress: “10,001 Dalmatians” study

Salvatore, Fiorella Pia; Relja, Ajka; Filipčić, Ivona Šimunović; Polašek, Ozren; Kolčić, Ivana

doi:10.1108/bfj-06-2018-0339

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Especially worrisome is our finding of low adherence to the MD among adolescents from the Mediterranean part of Croatia. This surely represents a lost opportunity, since Mediterranean diet has been repeatedly acknowledged to positively impact both physical health [ 53 ] and psychological well-being [ 54 , 55 ]. Our results are in agreement with those findings since we found a positive correlation between MD adherence score and the quality of life in our sample.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Have Lifestyle Habits and Psychological Well-Being Changed among Adolescents and Medical Students Due to COVID-19 Lockdown in Croatia?

et al. 2020

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Objective: To investigate dietary habits, sleep and psychological well-being of adolescents and medical students during COVID-19 lockdown in Split, Croatia. Methods: We surveyed 1326 students during 2018 and 2019, and compared their responses with 531 students enrolled in May 2020. Perceived stress, quality of life (QoL), happiness, anxiety, and optimism were assessed as proxies of psychological well-being, using general linear modelling. Results: We found no substantial differences in dietary pattern between pre-lockdown and lockdown periods, including the overall Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence. However, the MD pattern changed, showing increased adherence to the MD pyramid for fruit, legumes, fish, and sweets, while cereals, nuts, and dairy intake decreased during COVID-19 lockdown. A third of students reported weight loss during lockdown, 19% reported weight gain, while physical activity remained rather stable. The most prominent change was feeling refreshed after a night’s sleep, reported by 31.5% of students during lockdown vs. 8.5% before; median length of sleep duration increased by 1.5 h. Lockdown significantly affected QoL, happiness, optimism (all p < 0.001), and perceived stress in students (p = 0.005). MD adherence was positively correlated with QoL and study time, and negatively with TV and mobile phone use in pre-lockdown period (all p < 0.001). Interestingly, higher MD adherence was correlated with less perceived hardship and greater happiness and QoL during lockdown. Conclusion: These insights provide valuable information for tailored interventions aimed at maintaining healthy lifestyle in young population. Given the numerous beneficial effects associated with MD adherence, modification of lifestyle through application of lifestyle medicine deserves a priority approach.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Have Lifestyle Habits and Psychological Well-Being Changed among Adolescents and Medical Students Due to COVID-19 Lockdown in Croatia?

et al. 2020

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“…This exposes them to the negative effects of social ideals, while, at the same time, being subjected to access barriers to sport [79]. All of the aforementioned leads to detrimental effects such as increased mental distress, with this being associated with low MD adherence in adulthood [81]. Consequently, situations that promote detrimental aspects in women's physical and mental health should be avoided.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Confinement Due to COVID-19 on Physical Activity and Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Its Relationship with Self-Esteem in Pre-Adolescent Students

et al. 2021

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Regular physical activity and good adherence to the Mediterranean diet are important for improving physical and mental health. Confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a lack of exercise and poor nutrition. Preadolescent mental health, specifically regarding self-esteem, may have been affected. This is particularly relevant between the ages of 10 and 14. The influence of total confinement due to COVID-19 on physical activity and Mediterranean diet adherence, and its relationship with self-esteem was studied in third-year primary school students and first-year secondary school students in the provinces of Granada and Malaga, Spain. Validated questionnaires were administered to evaluate physical activity (PAQ-C), Mediterranean diet adherence (KIDMED) and self-esteem (Rosenberg Scale). In the same way, the FAS III test was used to evaluate socioeconomic status and an ad-hoc questionnaire was developed to collect sociodemographic data and evaluate screen time. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 25.0 statistical software. During the period of total confinement, statistically significant differences were found between examined variables, according to sex, school year, school type, socioeconomic status and whether or not the participant had contracted COVID-19. These data were compared with those collected during a previous time period. Those with a low socioeconomic status and girls were most affected.

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“…5 [46] Inverse association was found between mental distress and higher intake of fruits (β = −0.64, 95% CI: −0.89 to −0.39; p < 0.001), vegetables (β = − 0.39, 95% CI: −0.65 to −0.13; p < 0.003).…”

Section: [44]mentioning

confidence: 94%

Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mental Health in Adults: A Systematic Review

et al. 2020

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The role of a properly balanced diet in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders has been suggested, while vegetables and fruits have a high content of nutrients that may be of importance in the case of depressive disorders. The aim of the study was to conduct a systematic review of the observational studies analyzing association between fruit and vegetable intake and mental health in adults. The search adhered to the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), and the review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (CRD42019138148). A search for peer-reviewed observational studies published until June 2019 was performed in PubMed and Web of Science databases, followed by an additional manual search for publications conducted via analyzing the references of the found studies. With respect to the intake of fruit and/or vegetable, studies that assessed the intake of fruits and/or vegetables, or their processed products (e.g., juices), as a measure expressed in grams or as the number of portions were included. Those studies that assessed the general dietary patterns were not included in the present analysis. With respect to mental health, studies that assessed all the aspects of mental health in both healthy participants and subjects with physical health problems were included, but those conducted in groups of patients with intellectual disabilities, dementia, and eating disorders were excluded. To assess bias, the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) was applied. A total of 5911 studies were independently extracted by 2 researchers and verified if they met the inclusion criteria using a 2-stage procedure (based on the title, based on the abstract). After reviewing the full text, a total of 61 studies were selected. A narrative synthesis of the findings from the included studies was performed, which was structured around the type of outcome. The studies included mainly focused on depression and depressive symptoms, but also other characteristics ranging from general and mental well-being, quality of life, sleep quality, life satisfaction, flourishing, mood, self-efficacy, curiosity, creativity, optimism, self-esteem, stress, nervousness, or happiness, to anxiety, minor psychiatric disorders, distress, or attempted suicide, were analyzed. The most prominent results indicated that high total intake of fruits and vegetables, and some of their specific subgroups including berries, citrus, and green leafy vegetables, may promote higher levels of optimism and self-efficacy, as well as reduce the level of psychological distress, ambiguity, and cancer fatalism, and protect against depressive symptoms. However, it must be indicated that the studies included were conducted using various methodologies and in different populations, so their results were not always sufficiently comparable, which is a limitation. Taken together, it can be concluded that fruits and/or vegetables, and some of their specific subgroups, as well as processed fruits and vegetables, seems to have a positive influence on mental health, as stated in the vast majority of the included studies. Therefore, the general recommendation to consume at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day may be beneficial also for mental health.

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Mediterranean diet and mental distress: “10,001 Dalmatians” study

Cited by 9 publications

References 62 publications

Have Lifestyle Habits and Psychological Well-Being Changed among Adolescents and Medical Students Due to COVID-19 Lockdown in Croatia?

Have Lifestyle Habits and Psychological Well-Being Changed among Adolescents and Medical Students Due to COVID-19 Lockdown in Croatia?

Influence of Confinement Due to COVID-19 on Physical Activity and Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Its Relationship with Self-Esteem in Pre-Adolescent Students

Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mental Health in Adults: A Systematic Review

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