Adherence to The Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and Associated Factors Among Adolescents: a Cross-sectional Study from Portugal

Abstract

<jats:p>INTRODUCTION: The Mediterranean Dietary Pattern is one of the healthiest dietary models, being associated with several health benefits. However, in recent years, this pattern has been abandoned by adolescents in Mediterranean countries. OBJECTIVES: To determine and analyze the adherence to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and its associated factors in a sample of adolescents from a city in the north of Portugal. METHODOLOGY: Cross-sectional study. The data was collected via a stratified one-stage cluster sampling of adolescents (10 to 19 years old) from a city in the north of Portugal. The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED Index) was self-administered to evaluate the adherence to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern among adolescents. Participants self-reported information about sociodemographic, anthropometric and lifestyle characteristics. Logistic regression was performed to identify the predictors of high adherence to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern. RESULTS: Most adolescents had a low/moderate adherence to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern (63.2%). Logistic regression modelling indicated that age and parents educational level were the utmost factors positively related to the possibility of high Mediterranean Dietary Pattern adherence. Sex, school location, body mass index and number of household members did not significantly predict high Mediterranean Dietary Pattern adherence. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the importance of the parents education level in adolescents Mediterranean Dietary Pattern adherence, allowing the identification of the priority groups for a possible intervention, namely, younger adolescents and those whose parents have lower educational level.</jats:p>