title: Adherence to Mediterranean diet in a sample of Tuscan adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to estimate the level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet in a group of Italian high school students, in relation to their lifestyles and social and family contexts, and to compare the nutrition habits of the sample with other similar groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  The KIDMED index and an ad hoc questionnaire were administered to 1127 students (mean age 16.8 ± 1.6 y) in the province of Florence. Any significant associations between the level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the aforementioned variables were assessed by the χ(2) test and by logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The adherence to the Mediterranean diet was good in 16.5%, average in 60.5%, and poor in 23% of the students. The students attending technical high schools, those who played sports less than "almost every day", those who spent >3 h/d in sedentary activities, those who defined their school performance as worse than "more than sufficient," and those who referred to use of a car/moped as the most frequent mode of transportation, had significantly higher odds of poor rather than average or good adherence to Mediterranean diet. Moreover, being normal weight or overweight/obese, and referring to health workers as source of information on diet, seem to be protective factors against poor adherence to Mediterranean diet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our sample presents a departure from the Mediterranean dietary pattern. It is certainly necessary to implement public health policies targeting teenagers to promote healthier lifestyle choices; the nutritional patterns of the Mediterranean diet should be among these choices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. Electronic address: francesca.santomauro@unifi.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santomauro
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lorini
authors.affiliation: School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanini
authors.affiliation: School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Indiani
authors.affiliation: School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Vieri
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lastrucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Comodo
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonaccorsi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Adolescents; Italy; KIDMED; Mediterranean diet; Nutrition; Nutritional status