| Autor: |
Quarta S; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy., Massaro M; National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Clinical Physiology, 73100 Lecce, Italy., Chervenkov M; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Forestry, 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria.; Slow Food in Bulgaria, 9 Pierre De Geytre St. bl. 3, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria., Ivanova T; Slow Food in Bulgaria, 9 Pierre De Geytre St. bl. 3, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.; Department of Plant and Fungal Diversity and Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria., Dimitrova D; Slow Food in Bulgaria, 9 Pierre De Geytre St. bl. 3, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.; Department of Plant and Fungal Diversity and Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria., Jorge R; Instituto Politécnico de Santarém, Escola Superior Agraria, 2001-904 Santarém, Portugal.; Life Quality Research Centre (CIEQV), IPSantarém/IPLeiria, 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal.; Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz (CiiEM), Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz, 2829-511 Monte de Caparica, Portugal., Andrade V; Instituto Politécnico de Santarém, Escola Superior Agraria, 2001-904 Santarém, Portugal., Philippou E; Department of Life and Health Sciences, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Nicosia, Nicosia 1700, Cyprus.; Department of Nutritional Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK., Zisimou C; Department of Life and Health Sciences, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Nicosia, Nicosia 1700, Cyprus., Maksimova V; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University Goce Delcev, str. Krste Misirkov, No. 10-A, POB 201, 2000 Stip, North Macedonia., Smilkov K; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University Goce Delcev, str. Krste Misirkov, No. 10-A, POB 201, 2000 Stip, North Macedonia., Ackova DG; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University Goce Delcev, str. Krste Misirkov, No. 10-A, POB 201, 2000 Stip, North Macedonia., Miloseva L; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University Goce Delcev, str. Krste Misirkov, No. 10-A, POB 201, 2000 Stip, North Macedonia., Ruskovska T; Faculty of Medical Sciences, University Goce Delcev, str. Krste Misirkov, No. 10-A, POB 201, 2000 Stip, North Macedonia., Deligiannidou GE; Laboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Dragana, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece., Kontogiorgis CA; Laboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Dragana, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece., Sánchez-Meca J; Department of Basic Psychology & Methodology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain., Pinto P; Instituto Politécnico de Santarém, Escola Superior Agraria, 2001-904 Santarém, Portugal.; Life Quality Research Centre (CIEQV), IPSantarém/IPLeiria, 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal., García-Conesa MT; Research Group on Quality, Safety and Bioactivity of Plant Foods, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEBAS-CSIC), Campus de Espinardo, P.O. Box 164, 30100 Murcia, Spain. |
| Abstrakt: |
The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been sponsored worldwide as a healthy and sustainable diet. Our aim was to update and compare MD adherence and food choices across several Southern European countries: Spain (SP), Portugal (PT), Italy (IT), Greece (GR), and Cyprus (CY) (MED, Mediterranean), and Bulgaria (BG) and the Republic of North Macedonia (NMK) (non-MED, non-Mediterranean). Participants ( N = 3145, ≥18 y) completed a survey (MeDiWeB) with sociodemographic, anthropometric, and food questions (14-item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener, 14-MEDAS). The MED and non-MED populations showed moderate (7.08 ± 1.96) and weak (5.58 ± 1.82) MD adherence, respectively, with significant yet small differences across countries (SP > PT > GR > IT > CY > BG > NMK, p -value < 0.001). The MED participants scored higher than the non-MED ones for most of the Mediterranean-typical foods, with the greatest differences found for olive oil (OO) and white meat preference. In most countries, ≥70% of the participants reported quantities of red meat, butter, sweet drinks, and desserts below the recommended cutoff points, whereas <50% achieved the targets for plant-based foods, OO, fish, and wine. Being a woman and increasing age were associated with superior adherence ( p -value < 0.001), but differences were rather small. Our results suggest that the campaigns carried out to support and reinforce the MD and to promote plant-based foods have limited success across Southern Europe, and that more hard-hitting strategies are needed. |
