title: Validation of a literature-based adherence score to Mediterranean diet: the MEDI-LITE score.
abstract: Numerous studies have demonstrated a relationship between adherence to Mediterranean diet and prevention of chronic degenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to validate a novel instrument to measure adherence to Mediterranean diet based on the literature (the MEDI-LITE score). Two-hundred-and-four clinically healthy subjects completed both the MEDI-LITE score and the validated MedDietScore (MDS). Significant positive correlation between the MEDI-LITE and the MDS scores was found in the study population (R = .70; p < .0001). Furthermore, statistically significant positive correlations were found for all the nine different food groups. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, MEDI-LITE evidenced a significant discriminative capacity between adherents and non-adherents to the Mediterranean diet pattern (optimal cut-off point = 8.50; sensitivity = 96%; specificity = 38%). In conclusion, our findings show that the MEDI-LITE score well correlate with MDS in both global score and in most of the items related to the specific food categories.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine , School of Human Health Sciences, University of Florence , Florence , Italy.|b Unit of Clinical Nutrition , Careggi University Hospital , Florence , Italy.|c Onlus IRCCS , Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation Italy , Florence , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sofi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine , School of Human Health Sciences, University of Florence , Florence , Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dinu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine , School of Human Health Sciences, University of Florence , Florence , Italy.
authors.forename: Giuditta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pagliai
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine , School of Human Health Sciences, University of Florence , Florence , Italy.|d Unit of Atherothrombotic Diseases , Careggi University Hospital , Florence , Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marcucci
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine , School of Human Health Sciences, University of Florence , Florence , Italy.|b Unit of Clinical Nutrition , Careggi University Hospital , Florence , Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diet; Mediterranean; cardiovascular disease; prevention