Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska Cesta 2, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Nutrients. 2022 Sep 9;14(18):3725. doi: 10.3390/nu14183725.
Non-communicable diseases (NCD) and lifestyle, particularly diet, have a close relationship. Based on the recent statistics, Croatian men and women lead in European overweight lists, which implies pessimistic prognosis in terms of incidence and prevalence of NCDs in the future. One of the possible solutions to overcome weight problems is turn to traditional balanced and sustainable diets, such as the Mediterranean diet. In this study, we assessed adherence towards Mediterranean diet using a validated questionnaire in an online survey and associated adherence scores with several demographic and anthropometric data. Based on the results of a validated Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (N = 3326), we assessed the adherence score to be 7.6 ± 2.5. The score tended to depend on sex, residence, age, education, income, and body mass index (BMI); indeed, women, residents of a coastal part of the country, older volunteers, those possessing a higher education degree, those with higher income, and those with lower BMI were associated with higher scores. As income was one of the significant findings related to higher adherence scores, we developed a dietary plan complying with Mediterranean diet principles that, on average, costed less than the average traditional balanced diet menu. Taken together, this study brought new findings regarding target groups who need to be encouraged to make lifestyle changes, and highlighted the first steps on how to make them.
非传染性疾病（NCD）与生活方式，尤其是饮食，密切相关。根据最近的统计数据，克罗地亚男性和女性在欧洲超重名单中名列前茅，这意味着未来 NCD 的发病率和患病率将不容乐观。解决体重问题的一种可能方法是转向传统的均衡和可持续饮食，例如地中海饮食。在这项研究中，我们使用经过验证的问卷在线调查评估了对地中海饮食的依从性，并将依从性评分与多项人口统计学和人体测量数据相关联。根据经过验证的地中海饮食依从性筛查器（N = 3326）的结果，我们评估的依从性评分为 7.6 ± 2.5。该评分倾向于取决于性别、居住地、年龄、教育、收入和体重指数（BMI）；实际上，女性、居住在该国沿海地区的人、年龄较大的志愿者、受教育程度较高的人、收入较高的人和 BMI 较低的人得分较高。由于收入是与更高的依从性评分相关的重要发现之一，我们制定了一个符合地中海饮食原则的饮食计划，平均而言，其成本低于传统均衡饮食菜单的平均成本。总的来说，这项研究带来了关于需要鼓励生活方式改变的目标群体的新发现，并强调了如何实现这些改变的第一步。
