title: Mass media information and adherence to Mediterranean diet: results from the Moli-sani study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between mass media information, dietary habits and risk factors for cardiovascular disease in an Italian adult population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subsample of 1,132 subjects (mean age 53 ± 10, 50% men) enrolled in the Moli-sani Project, a population-based cohort study. A specific questionnaire on exposure to information from various media sources was elaborated, validated, and administered. A mass media exposure score was obtained from principal component analysis of ten items of media exposure. Dietary habits were assessed based on eating patterns obtained from principal component analysis of 45 food groups derived from the EPIC food frequency questionnaire and by the Mediterranean score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a multivariable general linear regression analysis including age, sex, social status, physical activity, C-reactive protein, total calories intake, three dietary patterns or Mediterranean score, higher media exposure was positively associated with adherence to a Mediterranean-like eating pattern (P = 0.0018) as well as to the Mediterranean score (P = 0.0005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to mass media information is significantly associated with greater adherence to both Mediterranean diet and Mediterranean-like eating pattern, an association that public health strategies should take into account.
authors.affiliation: Science Communication Unit, Fondazione di Ricerca e Cura Giovanni Paolo II, 86100, Campobasso, Italy.
authors.forename: Marialaura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonaccio
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Castelnuovo
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Costanzo
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Lucia
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olivieri
authors.forename: Maria Benedetta
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Gaetano
authors.forename: Licia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iacoviello
authors.forename: Americo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonanni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008875:Middle Aged; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires