Adherence to Mediterranean Diet Measured through Medi-Lite Score and Obesity: A Retrospective Study

Nutrients. 2021 Jun 10;13(6):2007. doi: 10.3390/nu13062007.

Abstract

We recently developed and validated a questionnaire to measure adherence to the Mediterranean diet, called Medi-Lite. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of the Medi-Lite adherence score in relation to obesity status. A total of 208 patients who attended the Clinical Nutrition Unit of Careggi University Hospital, Florence, were included in this retrospective analysis. Of them, 126 (45%) had abdominal obesity (110 F; 16 M). The mean adherence score, calculated through the Medi-Lite questionnaire, was 9.5 ± 2.2, with significantly (p < 0.001) lower values in patients with abdominal obesity (8.9 ± 1.9) than those without abdominal obesity (10 ± 2.2). Logistic regression analysis adjusted for age and sex showed that the Medi-Lite score determined significant protection (-28%) against the risk of abdominal obesity for every one-unit increase in the total score (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.63-0.82; p < 0.001). Looking for cut-off values that denote increased risk of having abdominal obesity, we observed that patients who scored ≤9 had a significantly increased risk (OR 3.21, 95% CI 1.91-5.39; p < 0.001). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet assessed through the Medi-Lite score was found to be associated with abdominal obesity. In particular, patients who reported a score of ≤9 had a 3.5-fold times higher risk of having abdominal obesity than those who scored >9.

Keywords: Medi-Lite; Mediterranean diet; adherence; obesity.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Body Composition
  • Diet, Mediterranean*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Obesity / epidemiology*
  • Patient Compliance*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Young Adult