Research Unit of Don Benito-Villanueva de la Serena Health Area, Calle Sierra Nevada, 10, 06700, Villanueva de la Serena, Spain.
University institute for Biosanitary Research of Extremadura (INUBE), Badajoz, Spain.
BMC Public Health. 2022 Jan 10;22(1):58. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-12433-w.
The Mediterranean Diet (MD) is recognized as heart-healthy, but the economic cost associated with this type of diet has scarcely been studied. The objective of the present study is to explore the cost and adherence of a low-income region population to the MD and its relationship with income.
A population-based study was carried out on 2,833 subjects between 25 and 79 years of age, 54% women, selected at random from the municipalities of Vegas Altas, La Siberia and La Serena in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura (Spain). Average monthly cost of each product included in the MD was computed and related to adherence to the MD using the Panagiotakos Index and average disposable income.
The monthly median cost was 203.6€ (IQR: 154.04-265.37). Food-related expenditure was higher for men (p<0.001), age cohort between 45 and 54 years (p<0.013) and those living in urban areas (p<0.001). A positive correlation between food-related expenditure and the MD adherence was found. Monthly median cost represents 15% of average disposable income, ranging between 11% for the group with low MD adherence and 17% for the group with high MD adherence.
The monthly cost of the MD was positively correlated with the degree of adherence to this dietary pattern. Given that the estimated monthly cost is similar to that of other Spanish regions with a higher income level, the economic effort required to be able to afford the Mediterranean diet is higher. This may represent a barrier to access, which should be analyzed in detail by public decision-makers.
地中海饮食（Mediterranean Diet，MD）被认为对心脏健康有益，但这种饮食方式的经济成本几乎没有被研究过。本研究旨在探讨低收入地区人群对 MD 的成本和依从性及其与收入的关系。
在西班牙巴达霍斯省维加斯阿尔塔斯、拉西伯利亚和拉塞雷纳市进行了一项基于人群的研究，共纳入 2833 名年龄在 25 至 79 岁之间的参与者，其中 54%为女性，采用随机抽样的方法选取。计算 MD 中每种产品的月平均成本，并使用 Panagiotakos 指数和可支配平均收入来评估 MD 的依从性。
每月中位数成本为 203.6 欧元（IQR：154.04-265.37）。男性的食品相关支出较高（p<0.001），45 至 54 岁年龄组（p<0.013）和居住在城市地区的人群（p<0.001）也是如此。发现食品相关支出与 MD 依从性之间呈正相关。每月中位数成本占可支配平均收入的 15%，范围从低 MD 依从性组的 11%到高 MD 依从性组的 17%。
MD 的月成本与这种饮食模式的依从性呈正相关。由于估计的月成本与收入水平较高的其他西班牙地区相似，因此需要付出更多的经济努力才能负担得起地中海饮食。这可能是一个进入的障碍，决策者应详细分析。
