Food, youth and the Mediterranean diet in Spain. Development of KIDMED, Mediterranean Diet Quality Index in children and adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate dietary habits in Spanish children and adolescents based on a Mediterranean Diet Quality Index tool, which considers certain principles sustaining and challenging traditional healthy Mediterranean dietary patterns.


METHODS
Observational population-based cross-sectional study. A 16-item Mediterranean Diet Quality Index was included in data gathered for the EnKid study (in which two 24-hour recalls, a quantitative 169-item food-frequency questionnaire and a general questionnaire about socio-economic, demographic and lifestyle items were administered).


METHODS
Spain.


METHODS
In total, 3850 children and youths aged 2-24 years residing in Spain.


RESULTS
Of the sample, 4.2% showed very low KIDMED index results, 49.4% had intermediate values and 46.4% had high index results. Important geographical differences were seen, with subjects from the Northeast showing the most favourable outcomes (52% with elevated scores vs. 37.5% of those from the North). Lower percentages of high diet quality were observed in low socio-economic groups, compared with middle and upper income cohorts (42.8%, 47.6% and 54.9%, respectively). Large cities had more positive results and only slight variations were seen for gender and age.


CONCLUSIONS
The KIDMED index, the first to evaluate the adequacy of Mediterranean dietary patterns in children and youth, confirms that this collective is undergoing important changes, which makes them a priority target for nutrition interventions. Results challenge certain commonly perceived notions tied to income level, population size and diet quality.
Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. lserra@dcc.ulpgc.es
Lluís
L
Serra-Majem
Lourdes
L
Ribas
Joy
J
Ngo
Rosa M
RM
Ortega
Alicia
A
García
Carmen
C
Pérez-Rodrigo
Javier
J
Aranceta
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D011156:Population Density; D011159:Population Surveillance; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires