title: Factors associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet among adolescents living in Sicily, Southern Italy.
abstract: The present study aimed to examine the factors associated with increased Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence among a sample of Italian adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1135 students (13-16 years) attending 13 secondary schools of Sicily, southern Italy. Validated instruments were used for dietary assessment and the KIDMED score to assess adolescents' adherence to the MD. A higher adherence to the MD was associated with high socioeconomic status (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.53, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.03-2.26) and high physical activity (OR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.02-1.70), whereas lower adherence was associated with living in an urban environment (OR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.44-0.97) and being obese (OR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.37-0.94). The adolescents' KIDMED scores were inversely associated with adolescents' intake of sweets, fast foods, fried foods, and sugary drinks, and directly with fruit, vegetables, pasta, fish, and cheese intakes. Urban-living adolescents were less likely to eat fruit and more prone to consume meat, sugary drinks, and fast food than rural-living adolescents. The latter were more likely to eat sweets and snacks. A general poor quality of food consumption in Italian adolescents away from the MD was reported, especially among those living in urban areas.
authors.affiliation: Department "G.F. Ingrassia", Section of Hygiene and Public Health, University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy. giuseppe.grosso@studium.unict.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grosso
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marventano
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buscemi
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scuderi
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matalone
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Platania
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giorgianni
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rametta
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nolfo
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galvano
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mistretta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012424:Rural Population; D012802:Sicily; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D014675:Vegetables