How Well Secondary School Students Follow a Mediterranean Diet

Only 6.7% of pupils exhibited a low adherence to the Mediterranean diet, with the majority scoring medium (50.4%) or high (42.9%).

• The kidmed index, which measures adherence to the Mediterranean diet, ranges from 0 to 12.
• Adherence to the Mediterranean diet decreases progressively with age among pupils.
• At age 13, nearly half (49.5%) of pupils achieved an optimal kidmed index score, while this decreased to 37.2% by age 16.
• Significant differences were found in dietary habits, including lower consumption of fruit, fish, and nuts, as well as higher intake of sweets and fast food.
• By the end of compulsory secondary education, 62.8% of pupils showed a low to medium adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

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