Association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet with anthropometric measurements and nutritional status in adolescents

Background: adolescence is a critical period for developing healthy eating habits. It is crucial to evaluate and encourage adherence to the Mediterranean diet, a sustainable and healthy diet model in this age group. Objective: this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and anthropometric measurements and nutritional status in Turkish adolescents. Material and methods: the demographic characteristics, health information, nutritional habits, physical activity status, and 24-hour dietary recall of the adolescents were obtained with a questionnaire. Adherence to Mediterranean diet was evaluated with the Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS). Results: a total of 1,137 adolescents (mean age 14.0 ± 1.37 years) were included; 30.2 % of the boys and 39.5 % of the girls were overweight/ obese. The median (interquartile range) value of the MSDPS was 10.7 (7.7), and this value was 11.0 (7.6) for the boys and 10.6 (7.4) for the girls (p > 0.05). The levels of protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, zinc, and potassium intake increased with adherence to Mediterranean diet (p < 0.001). Age, parental education level, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and skipping meals affected MSDPS. Conclusion: adolescents’ adherence to the Mediterranean diet was low and correlated with some anthropometric measures. Increasing adherence to the Mediterranean diet may contribute to preventing obesity and adequate and balanced nutrition in adolescents.