Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box: 27272, United Arab Emirates.
Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences (RIMHS), University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates.
J Transl Med. 2024 May 28;22(1):513. doi: 10.1186/s12967-024-05172-0.
Substantial evidence embraced the nutrition competence of the Mediterranean diet (MD) as a healthy model for decreasing the risk of chronic diseases and increasing longevity, with the bonus of ensuring environmental sustainability. Measuring adherence to this diet is marginally investigated in the Arabian Gulf region, an area away from the Mediterranean region. The current study aimed to assess the MD adherence among adults in Sharjah/the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and to identify the most influential predictors for MD adherence among the study participants.
A cross-sectional study design was employed using a self-reported, web-based electronic questionnaire that questioned sociodemographics, lifestyle factors, and familiarity with the MD. The MD adherence was assessed by the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener validated questionnaire. The adherence level was classified as low for a total score of [0-5], medium [score 6-7], and high (8-13).
The study included 1314 participants (age 25-52 years) comprised 822 (62.6%) females and 492 (37.4%) males. There was a moderate adherence score (5.9 ± 1.9) among the study participants. The food constituent expressed the lowest contribution to the MD was fish (9.3%), followed by fruits (12.3%), and legumes (18.3%). The multivariable linear regression analysis showed an overall significant linear trend for the association between the MD adherence score and physical activity, while nutrition information from dietitians and social media were the most two strongly related predictors for the higher adherence (β = 0.747; 95% CI 0.51-0.98, and β 0.60; 95% CI 0.269-0.93; p < 0.001, respectively). On the other side, being a smoker and from a non-Mediterranean country was associated with lower adherence scores (β = 0.538; 95% CI 0.252-0.82, p < 0.001).
The findings of the current study showed a moderate adherence, low proportion for high adherence, and a gap in the familiarity with the diet name. Being married, physically active, non-smoker, and getting nutrition information from dietitians and social media were the strongest predictors for higher adherence. It is warranted that public health and nutrition specialists/dietitians to tailor new modern approaches for promoting healthy dietary behaviours consistent with the MD.
大量证据表明，地中海饮食（MD）的营养能力是降低慢性病风险和延长寿命的健康模式，同时还能确保环境可持续性。在远离地中海地区的阿拉伯海湾地区，对这种饮食的依从性的测量研究较少。本研究旨在评估沙迦/阿拉伯联合酋长国（UAE）成年人的 MD 依从性，并确定研究参与者中 MD 依从性的最主要影响因素。
采用横断面研究设计，使用自我报告的基于网络的电子问卷，询问社会人口统计学、生活方式因素和对 MD 的熟悉程度。MD 依从性通过经过验证的地中海饮食依从性筛查器问卷进行评估。依从水平被分类为低（总分 0-5）、中（6-7 分）和高（8-13 分）。
该研究共纳入 1314 名参与者（年龄 25-52 岁），其中 822 名（62.6%）为女性，492 名（37.4%）为男性。研究参与者的中等依从性评分为 5.9±1.9。MD 中最低的食物组成部分是鱼（9.3%），其次是水果（12.3%）和豆类（18.3%）。多变量线性回归分析显示，MD 依从性评分与体力活动之间存在显著的线性关联趋势，而营养师和社交媒体提供的营养信息是与更高依从性最相关的两个预测因素（β=0.747；95%CI 0.51-0.98 和β=0.60；95%CI 0.269-0.93；p<0.001）。另一方面，吸烟和来自非地中海国家与较低的依从性评分相关（β=0.538；95%CI 0.252-0.82，p<0.001）。
本研究结果显示，MD 依从性中等，高依从性比例低，对饮食名称的熟悉程度存在差距。已婚、体力活动、不吸烟以及从营养师和社交媒体获取营养信息是更高依从性的最强预测因素。有必要让公共卫生和营养专家/营养师制定新的现代方法，以促进与 MD 一致的健康饮食行为。
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