Level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet among children from Cyprus: the CYKIDS study

Aug 30, 2008Public health nutrition

How closely children in Cyprus follow the Mediterranean diet: the CYKIDS study

AI simplified

Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Only 6.7% of Cypriot children were classified as high adherers to the Mediterranean diet.

37% of the children had a poor KIDMED score, indicating low adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
Children with at least an average KIDMED score were more likely to frequently consume seafood, fish, legumes, nuts, bread, fruits, leafy vegetables, olives, low glycaemic index foods, and unrefined foods.
The associations between diet quality and food group consumption showed effect sizes ranging from medium to high.
Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet is linked to better diet quality among children.

AI simplified

BACKGROUND: The Mediterranean diet (MD) prototype is widely used as an educational tool in public health programmes; few studies, however, have been conducted on the adherence of children to this diet.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of Cypriot children's diet by assessing the degree of adherence to the MD.

METHODS: A national cross-sectional study among 1140 children (mean age = 10.7 (SD 0.98) years), using stratified multistage sampling design, was conducted in primary schools of Cyprus. Dietary assessment was based on a 154-item semi-quantitative FFQ and the two supplementary questionnaires (a Food Groups Frequency Questionnaire and a Short Eating Habits Questionnaire). Adherence to the MD was assessed by the KIDMED index. The association between the frequencies of consumption of various food groups and the level of adherence to the MD (poor v. average v. good KIDMED score) was also evaluated. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to adjust for potential confounders.

RESULTS: Only 6.7% of the sample was classified as high adherers of MD, whereas 37% had a poor KIDMED score. Multiple logistic regression analysis has shown that children with at least an average KIDMED score were more likely to eat frequently seafood and fish, legumes, nuts, bread, fruits, leafy vegetables, olives, low glycaemic index foods and unrefined foods. Effect size of associations was from medium to high.

CONCLUSION: Higher adherence to MD is associated with better diet quality in children. The MD prototype may thus represent a useful educational tool for promotion of healthy eating habits in children.

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View full text ↗

Level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet among children from Cyprus: the CYKIDS study

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief