scholarly journals Description of Lifestyle, Including Social Life, Diet and Physical Activity, of People ≥90 years Living in Ikaria, a Longevity Blue Zone

Author(s):  
Romain Legrand ◽  
Gilles Nuemi ◽  
Michel Poulain ◽  
Patrick Manckoundia

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted to describe the lifestyle of people ≥90 years, living in Evdilos or Raches, two municipalities of the Greek island of Ikaria, classified a longevity blue zone. The 71 participants were interviewed and underwent the Mediterranean Islands study food frequency questionnaire (MEDIS-FFQ) and the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ). The frequency of social contacts was daily for 77.9% of participants, weekly for 16.1%, and monthly for 5.9%. Most participants (90.0%) believed in God, and 81.4% took part in religious events. A total of 62.0% attended Panigiria festivals. Access to primary health care was considered difficult in the past for 66.2% of participants, while 22.1% felt that it remained difficult at the time of the survey. The level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet was 62.7% (61.6% in women and 64.0% in men). Physical activity levels were moderate or high for 71.8% of participants (59.5% of women and 85.3% of men). In conclusion, the participants had a very high level of family solidarity, social interaction and physical activity. The results concerning the Mediterranean diet are less convincing. It would be interesting to study the impact of these factors on the longevity of the oldest old aged people living in Ikaria.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danijela Pfeifer ◽  
Josip Rešetar ◽  
Jasenka Gajdoš Kljusurić ◽  
Ines Panjkota Krbavčić ◽  
Darija Vranešić Bender ◽  
...  

Introduction: The primary aims of this study were to evaluate the changes in dietary behavior among the Croatian adult population during the COVID-19 outbreak and to explore the impact of confinement on cooking habits.Methods: The study was based on results from COVIDiet_Int cross-sectional study—a part of COVIDiet project (NCT04449731). A self-administered online questionnaire was used to assess the frequency of food consumption, eating habits, and sociodemographic information. A total number of 4,281 participants (80.5% females and 19.4% males) completed the questionnaire.Results: The Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) score before the confinement was 5.02 ± 1.97, while during the confinement, the MEDAS score increased to 5.85 ± 2.04. Participants who had higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) during the confinement were mostly females (88.8%), aged between 20 and 50 years, with the highest level of education (66.3%) and normal BMI (70.6%). The majority of participants maintained their dietary behavior as it was before COVID-19 confinement, while 36.9% decreased their physical activity. Participants with higher MEDAS score were more eager to increase their physical activity. Additionally, higher median values of MEDAS score were noted for participants with body mass index values below 24.9 kg/m2 (6.0 vs. 5.0 for participants with BMI above 25 kg/m2). Participants in all residence places increased their cooking frequency during the confinement (53.8%), which was associated with an increase in vegetables, legumes, as well as fish and seafood consumption.Conclusions: According to our findings, Croatian adults exhibited medium adherence to the MedDiet during the COVID-19 confinement. The results suggest that cooking frequency could be positively associated with overall dietary quality, which is of utmost importance in these demanding times.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 622
Author(s):  
Angelo Galluccio ◽  
Giovanna Caparello ◽  
Ennio Avolio ◽  
Emanuele Manes ◽  
Simona Ferraro ◽  
...  

The global pandemic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resulted in restrictions which forced adolescents to stay at home and influenced their food habits and lifestyles with potential negative health impact. This study aims to investigate the self-reported physical activity (PA) and eating habits related to the consumption of Mediterranean foods in a sample of adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown enrolled into the DIMENU study. A web survey was launched for 91 adolescents (aged 15–17 years) to assess their adherence to the Mediterranean Diet using the KIDMED test and lifestyle habits using a questionnaire designed following recommendations by Italian National Institute of Health (ISS score). Our results indicate that most of the sample declared no changes in eating habits and PA without sex differences. After dividing the sample into active and sedentary groups based on the self-perceived PA, we found that KIDMED and ISS scores were significantly higher (p = 0.0028 and p = 0.0001, respectively) in active adolescents. Moreover, KIDMED was positively correlated with ISS only in active adolescents (r = 0.311, p = 0.0185). In conclusion, our data underline the impact of the PA on the Mediterranean diet adherence in adolescents during the lockdown, suggesting the usefulness of promoting wellness programs directed towards inactive individuals to increase their awareness on the importance of healthy lifestyles.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 4038
Author(s):  
Dinko Martinovic ◽  
Daria Tokic ◽  
Lovre Martinovic ◽  
Marko Kumric ◽  
Marino Vilovic ◽  
...  

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is based on the traditional cuisine of south European countries, and it is considered one of the healthiest dietary patterns worldwide. The promotion of combined MD and physical activity has shown major benefits. However, the association between physical activity and the MD in regular fitness center users is still insufficiently investigated. This cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted on 1220 fitness center users in Croatia. The survey consisted of three parts: general information, the Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). The results showed that 18.6% of fitness center users were adherent to the MD, and there was a significant positive correlation between the level of physical activity and the MDSS score (r = 0.302, p < 0.001). Moreover, after dividing the sample into tertiles based on the IPAQ-SF score, the third tertile (MET > 3150 min/wk) had the most fitness center users (34.4%) adherent to the MD, while the first tertile (MET < 1750 min/wk) had the least (6.1%). These outcomes emphasize the importance of physical activity as they imply that, with higher levels of physical activity, people are also possibly more aware of the importance that a healthy and balanced diet has on their well-being.


Author(s):  
Pere Riutord Sbert ◽  
Ángel Arturo López González ◽  
Bartomeu Riutord Fe ◽  
Neus Riutord Fe ◽  
Sebastiana Arroyo Bote ◽  
...  

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. There are several risk factors for CVD, many of which are preventable, including sedentary lifestyles and poor diet. OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of physical activity, adherence to the Mediterranean diet and sociodemographic variables such as age, sex and social class on the values of different cardiovascular risk scales. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study in 1584 Spanish workers in which the influence of different sociodemographic variables (age, sex, social class) and healthy habits (tobacco consumption, physical activity assessed with the IPAQ questionnaire, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet) on the values of different cardiovascular risk (CVR) scales (REGICOR, SCORE, DORICA, ERICE, heart age, and vascular age) was assessed. RESULTS: All the CVR scales showed better mean values as the level of physical activity increased, something similar occurring with the prevalence of altered values, in both sexes. High adherence to the Mediterranean diet also improved the mean values and prevalence of altered values in men and women. CONCLUSION: The Mediterranean diet and physical exercise decrease the probability of suffering a cardiovascular event and improve all the CVR scales analyzed in this study.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 216
Author(s):  
Gabriel González-Valero ◽  
José Luis Ubago-Jiménez ◽  
Félix Zurita-Ortega ◽  
Ramón Chacón-Cuberos ◽  
Manuel Castro-Sánchez ◽  
...  

The creation of healthy habits and lifestyles is fundamental in the educational field and for acquiring adequate health levels that will prevail in adulthood. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics and correlations between the level of practice of physical activity, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), body mass index (BMI) and problematic use of videogames and self-concept of primary education students. This non-experimental, cross-sectional study is composed of a sample of 577 students aged 10-12 years (11.1 ± 0.638). Subjects were evaluated using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence questionnaire (KIDMED), Self-Concept Form-5 (AF-5), Experiences Related to Videogames (QERV) and anthropometric measurements were taken following the guidelines of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry. Most students have been found to be of normal weight, although one in five has problems with being overweight or experiencing obesity. Likewise, half of them need to improve their adherence to the Mediterranean diet, while they do not have a problematic use of videogames, although one tenth of them in these early ages offer severe problems and it is highlighted that students offer an adequate self-concept. It is also noted that BMI correlates positively with problematic videogame use and social self-concept. Greater addiction to videogames is associated with poorer academic performance, low levels of physical activity and poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Finally, it should be noted that the continued practice of physical-sports activity favors emotional competence and academic performance.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corneel Vandelanotte ◽  
Camille Short ◽  
Matthew Rockloff ◽  
Lee Di Millia ◽  
Kevin Ronan ◽  
...  

Background:A better understanding of how occupational indicators influence physical activity levels will aid the design of workplace interventions.Methods:Cross-sectional data were collected from 1194 participants through a telephone interview in Queensland, Australia. The IPAQ-long was used to measure physical activity. Multiple logistic regression was applied to examine associations.Results:Of participants, 77.9% were employed full-time, 32.3% had professional jobs, 35.7% were engaged in shift work, 39.5% had physically-demanding jobs, and 66.1% had high physical activity levels. Participants with a physicallydemanding job were less likely to have low total (OR = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.17 to 0.38) and occupational (OR = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.12 to 0.25) physical activity. Technical and trade workers were less likely to report low total physical activity (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.20 to 0.97) compared with white-collar workers. Part-time (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.15 to 2.64) and shift workers (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.21 to 2.88) were more likely to report low leisure-time activity.Conclusions:Overall, the impact of different occupational indicators on physical activity was not strong. As expected, the greatest proportion of total physical activity was derived from occupational physical activity. No evidence was found for compensation effects whereby physically-demanding occupations lead to less leisure-time physical activity or vice versa. This study demonstrates that workplaces are important settings to intervene, and that there is scope to increase leisure-time physical activity irrespective of occupational background.


Author(s):  
Andrea Maugeri ◽  
Martina Barchitta ◽  
Valerio Fiore ◽  
Giuliana Rosta ◽  
Giuliana Favara ◽  
...  

The Mediterranean diet (MD)—the dietary pattern usually consumed by Mediterranean populations—can help promote a favorable health status and better quality of life. Uncovering the main factors associated with the adherence to MD may be useful in understanding and counteracting the global shift toward a Western diet, which has been documented also in the Mediterranean region. Here, we evaluated the adherence to MD and its major social and behavioral determinants in women from Catania, Southern Italy. This cross-sectional study included 841 women, aged 25–64 years, with no history of severe diseases. Adherence to MD was assessed by the Food Frequency Questionnaire and Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS). Associations between variables were tested by multivariable logistic regression analysis and expressed as an odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Among social factors, medium and high educational levels were associated with an ideal intake of alcohol (OR = 4.059; 95%CI = 1.311–12.570; p = 0.015; OR = 4.258 95%CI = 1.068–16.976; p = 0.040; respectively), living in a couple with ideal intake of cereals (OR = 2.801 95%CI = 1.188–6.602; p = 0.018), and having children with an ideal intake of fruits (OR = 3.149; 95%CI = 1.245–7.762; p = 0.015). With respect to behaviors, current smoking was negatively associated with an ideal intake of meat (OR = 0.449; 95%CI = 0.0220–0.917; p = 0.028), while more engagement in physical activity was associated with an ideal intake of vegetables (OR = 6.148; 95%CI = 1.506–25.104; p = 0.011) and legumes (OR = 5.832; 95%CI = 1.414–24.063; p = 0.015). In line with these findings, moderately or highly physically active women were more likely to show medium or high adherence to MD than those who performed less physical activity (OR = 6.024; 95%CI = 1.192–30.440; p = 0.040; OR = 9.965 95%CI = 1.683–58.993; p = 0.011; respectively). Our results confirm an urgent need for public health strategies, which should take into account determinants of diet quality. Particularly, our study indicates that more engagement in physical activity is a major positive determinant of the adherence to MD.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Manuel Rodríguez-Muñoz ◽  
Juan Manuel Carmona-Torres ◽  
Cristina Rivera-Picón ◽  
Fabio Fabbian ◽  
Roberto Manfredini ◽  
...  

A person’s chronotype determines different habits, among which are eating and physical activity. Furthermore, at the university stage, social and organisational factors have a direct effect on students’ daily attitudes and habits. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is linked to better sleep quality and less social jet lag, but association with chronotype or sexual opinion remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between chronotype, adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, and sexual opinion. A multicentre observational study enrolled 457 students, from the University of Castilla-La Mancha and the University of Cordoba. Sociodemographic data and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, chronotype, physical activity, and sexual opinion were collected with validated questionnaires. The study period was from December 2017 to January 2018. Our results reported that students with an evening chronotype (E-type), with evening preferences, had a lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet and showed a higher tendency towards erotophilia. E-type students reported a significantly lower intake of fruits, vegetables, pulses, cereals, and olive oil, and higher breakfast skipping. Therefore, among the measures to promote healthy habits (obesity prevention, sexual education, socialisation, etc.), chronotype and an analysis of the impact of the schedules established by the universities must be considered.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goreti Filipa Santos Marques ◽  
Sara Maria Oliveira Pinto ◽  
Ana Catarina Rodrigues da Silva Reis ◽  
Tânia Daniela Barbosa Martins ◽  
Ana Paula da Conceição ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: To characterize the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) in students from elementary schools in Porto and Maia and analyze its association with sleep hygiene, physical activity, cardiometabolic risk, and school performance. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with 891 Portuguese students: 455 boys (51%) and 436 girls (49%), aged between 9 and 11 years old (mean [M]=9.2, standard deviation [SD]=0.4), with an average weight of 35.9 kg (SD=8.1), average height of 1.4 m (SD=0.1), average body mass index (standardized BMI Z score for the pediatric age group) of 0.76 (SD=1.21); 59.5% of them had normal weight and 15.9% were obese. The students filled a questionnaire on the adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (Mediterranean Diet Quality Index in Children and Adolescents [KIDMED]), participated in a socio-demographic interview, and had their anthropometric data collected after their parents signed the informed consent form. Results: The results suggest high levels of adherence to the MD (77.6%) both in males and females. Using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, we found that the Z score was positively associated to cardiometabolic risk and the starting age of an extracurricular physical activity, and negatively associated to the average hours of sleep on a typical day both in males and females. We also identified a negative relation between KIDMED and the starting age of physical activity. Conclusions: This study has contributed to the knowledge of adherence to the MD among Portuguese elementary students and correlations with variables associated to a healthier lifestyle (MD, hours of sleep, and physical activity). Future studies should focus their attention on other countries and more heterogeneous samples.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Félix Zurita-Ortega ◽  
Silvia San Román-Mata ◽  
Ramón Chacón-Cuberos ◽  
Manuel Castro-Sánchez ◽  
José Muros

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and to examine the relationship between MD adherence, physical activity, self-concept, and other sociodemographic factors; (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study (N = 597; 18.99 ± 0.64 years) was conducted in a sample of university students from Ceuta, Melilla, and Granada (Spain). Religious beliefs and place of residence were directly reported, while physical activity and adherence to the MD were self-reported using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A) and the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) respectively. Self-concept was evaluated using the Five-Factor Self-Concept Scale; (3) Results: Of those students reporting high levels of habitual physical activity, 82.3% also reported high adherence to the MD, with 17.7% reporting a medium adherence. Of students reporting no physical activity, 25.7% also reported medium adherence to the MD. No significant associations were found between the MD and religious beliefs. It was observed that the university campus was associated with the level of adherence to the MD (p = 0.030), with adherence being lowest in Ceuta and Melilla. Finally, the MD was associated with academic (p = 0.001) and physical self-concept (p = 0.005); 4) Conclusions: The MD should be promoted to university students, particularly those studying at Ceuta and Melilla, given the present findings of lower MD adherence. In addition, as higher MD adherence was also highlighted with more positive self-concept, its promotion would be beneficial in wider educational contexts.


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