COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ADHERENCE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET AMONG GIRLS AND ADOLESCENTS WHO PERFORM RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: Eating habits are one of the underlying aspects in rhythmic gymnastics as a sport with an aesthetic component. Objective: To evaluate adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) in girls and adolescents who perform rhythmic gymnastics, and the relationship of this adherence with Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference. Methods: A prospective, descriptive comparative cross-sectional study with the participation of 221 gymnasts aged between 7 and 17 years. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was analyzed using the KIDMED test. The waist circumference, height and weight of each gymnast were measured and the BMI calculated. Results: 41.63%, 52.94% and 5.43% of the total sample exhibited high, medium and low adherence, respectively, to the Mediterranean diet. The Mann-Whitney U test indicated significant differences in the rate of adherence to the Mediterranean diet between the two age groups, U = 5007.0, p = .016, r = .162. The adolescent gymnasts had greater adherence than the younger gymnasts. The total sample showed a positive correlation of the rate of adherence with weight (Rho = .143, p = .034), BMI (Rho = .152, p = .024) and waist circumference (Rho = .180, p = .007). Conclusions: The eating habits of adolescent gymnasts with regard to the Mediterranean diet are healthier than those of the younger gymnasts. All participants had normal BMI values. The KIDMED values of the total sample were related to weight and BMI. The high percentages of younger gymnasts with mean adherence to the MD evidenced the need to approximate their eating habits with Mediterranean standards. Level of evidence II; Comparative diagnostic study.