Abstract
The Mediterranean diet (MD) is linked to decreased risk of chronic disease, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and cognitive disease. Given the health promoting aspects of this diet, we conducted a secondary analysis of data from the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS), which is the largest health study in Australia and the first nutrition-specific national-based study. The primary aim of this analysis was to determine the proportion of Australian adults adhering to the MD and to examine the association between adherence to the MD and markers of noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. Out of the 9435 participants included in the study (mean age = 48.6 ± 17.6 years), 65% were in the middle tertile of the MD score. Participants who were married, employed, of a high-socioeconomic level, nonsmokers, educated and had a healthy body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were more likely to have higher adherence levels to the MD, which was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, even after accounting for all possible confounders, higher adherence to the MD was associated with lower risk of dyslipidaemia, OR = 1.06 (1.01–1.10). In conclusion, this analysis is the first to assess adherence to the MD on a national level. Our results indicated that MD adherence may contribute to reducing the prevalence of dyslipidaemia, cerebrovascular disease and elevated blood pressure in a multi-ethnic, non-Mediterranean country.
Highlights
The Mediterranean diet (MD) is the traditional diet/lifestyle that people residing near the Mediterranean Sea follow
Marital status had a significant impact on MD scores, with greater adherence to the MD indicated by married participants (p-value < 0.05)
When examining the highest MD score tertile compared to the lowest tertile, married participants accounted for 57.9% of the participants, whereas nonmarried participants made up 42.1%
Summary
The Mediterranean diet (MD) is the traditional diet/lifestyle that people residing near the Mediterranean Sea follow. This area includes countries from Southern Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East. Specific consumption of MD foods differs among different Mediterranean countries; these patterns might differ within the same country. These discrepancies are due to environmental factors, such as food availability and cultural traditions, the key components of this diet remain consistent across time and countries. The diet is characterized by a high intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, nuts and complex carbohydrates, as well as a low intake of poultry, red meats and sweets
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