Mediterranean diet and physical activity associated with lower death rates

Abstract There is a growing recognition that social support can potentially exert consistent or opposing effects in influencing health behaviours. The present paper presents a cross-sectional study, including 2,064 adults from Italy, Spain and Greece, who were participants in a multi-centre randomised controlled trial (C4H study), aiming to examine whether social support is correlated with adherence to a healthy Mediterranean diet and physical activity. Social support data were available for 1,572 participants. The majority of the sample reported emotional support availability (84·5 %), financial support availability (72·6 %) and having one or more close friends (78·2 %). Mediterranean diet adherence was significantly associated with emotional support (P = 0·009) and social network support (P = 0·021). No statistically significant associations were found between participant physical activity and the social support aspects studied. In conclusion, emotional and social network support may be associated with increased adherence to the Mediterranean diet. However, further research is needed to evaluate the role of social support in adherence to healthy Mediterranean diet.

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Mediterranean diet and physical activity impact on metabolic syndrome among children and adolescents from Southern Italy: Contribution from the Calabrian Sierras Community Study (CSCS)

International Journal of Cardiology ◽

10.1016/j.ijcard.2016.10.008 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 225 ◽

pp. 284-288 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Francesco Martino ◽

Paolo Emilio Puddu ◽

Feliciana Lamacchia ◽

Chiara Colantoni ◽

Cristina Zanoni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Southern Italy ◽

Community Study ◽

Diet And Physical Activity

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Sustained adherence to a Mediterranean diet and physical activity on all-cause mortality in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study: application of the g-formula

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-019-7919-2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth J. Williamson ◽

Julia Polak ◽

Julie A. Simpson ◽

Graham G. Giles ◽

Dallas R. English ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Relative Importance ◽

High Physical Activity ◽

Diet And Physical Activity ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study ◽

Over Time

Abstract Background Adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet has been associated with lower mortality and cardiovascular disease risk. The relative importance of diet compared to other lifestyle factors and effects of dietary patterns over time remains unknown. Methods We used the parametric G-formula to account for time-dependent confounding, in order to assess the relative importance of diet compared to other lifestyle factors and effects of dietary patterns over time. We included healthy Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study participants attending a visit during 1995–1999. Questionnaires assessed diet and physical activity at each of three study waves. Deaths were identified by linkage to national registries. We estimated mortality risk over approximately 14 years (1995–2011). Results Of 22,213 participants, 2163 (9.7%) died during 13.6 years median follow-up. Sustained high physical activity and adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet resulted in an estimated reduction in all-cause mortality of 1.82 per 100 people (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03, 3.6). The population attributable fraction was 13% (95% CI: 4, 23%) for sustained high physical activity, 7% (95% CI: − 3, 17%) for sustained adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet and 18% (95% CI: 0, 36%) for their combination. Conclusions A small reduction in mortality may be achieved by sustained elevated physical activity levels in healthy middle-aged adults, but there may be comparatively little gain from increasing adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet.

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