title: Are 6-8 year old Italian children moving away from the Mediterranean diet?
abstract: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is considered one of the healthiest dietary models, as it decreases the risk of chronic diseases and may modulate the organism's early response to environmental pollution. In recent decades, Mediterranean countries have been replacing their traditional diet with other less healthy eating habits, especially among children and teenagers.
  
  
  
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the MD and the level of adherence to it in 6-8 year old Italian children, in relation to residence, lifestyle, and social and family contexts.
  
  
  
  A questionnaire was administered to the children's parents in two seasons in 5 Italian towns. The diet section contained 116 questions investigating the frequency of consumption of different types of food. The Italian Mediterranean Index (IMI) was calculated according to the intake of 6 typical Mediterranean and 4 non-Mediterranean foods. On the basis of IMI score, MD adherence was classified as low (≤ 3 IMI score), medium (4-5) and high (≥ 6). Total energy load and diet composition in micro- and macronutrients were calculated from consumption frequency.
  
  
  
  Diet analysis was computed on 1164 subjects with two complete questionnaires. Body mass index, calculated for each subject, showed that 28.9% of the children were overweight, the figure varying slightly with area of residence. Our findings showed that 59.0% of the children had a low score for MD adherence.
  
  
  
  The results of this study showed that most Italian children did not follow the MD and socio-economic characteristics appeared not to be associated with type of diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Science and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zani
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Science and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ceretti
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Prevention Unit, IRCCS Foundation, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grioni
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Science and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: G C V
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Viola
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Science and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Donato
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Science and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feretti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Science and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Festa
authors.affiliation: Comune di Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonizzoni
authors.affiliation: Centro Servizi Multisettoriale e Tecnologico - CSMT Gestione S.c.a.r.l., Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monarca
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villarini
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levorato
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carducci
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verani
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Casini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Donno
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bagordo
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Paediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carraro
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Paediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonetta
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Paediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Sa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonetta
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Science and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gelatti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004034:Diet Surveys; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010290:Parents; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Food-frequency questionnaire; Italian Mediterranean Index; Mediterranean diet