title: Diet quality of young people in southern Spain evaluated by a Mediterranean adaptation of the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I).
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess whether the recently developed Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) was useful to evaluate the diet quality of a young Mediterranean population. A cross-sectional nutritional survey was carried out in southern Spain (Granada-Andalucia) from 2002 to 2005. Dietary information (24 h recall and FFQ) and socio-demographic and lifestyle data were collected from a representative sample of the population (n 288, 44.1 % females and 55.9 % males) aged 6-18 years (mean 12.88 (sd 2.78) years). DQI-I was designed according to the method of Kim et al. modified by Tur et al. for Mediterranean populations. It focused on four main characteristics of a high-quality diet (variety, adequacy, moderation and overall balance). This young population from southern Spain obtained 56.31 % of the total DQI-I score, indicating a poor-quality diet. A higher score was associated with a longer breakfast and greater physical activity. The DQI-I may require further modification for application in Mediterranean populations, differentiating between olive oil and saturated fats, among other changes. Further research is needed to develop a new diet quality index adapted to the Mediterranean diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mariscal-Arcas
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Romaguera
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rivas
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Feriche
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tur
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Olea-Serrano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D004522:Educational Status; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D012923:Social Class; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires