Low Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Isolated Adolescents: The Mediation Effects of Stress.

Ana Laguna-Pérez,Natalia Albaladejo-Blázquez,Nicolás Ruiz-Robledillo,Ana Zaragoza-Martí,María Rubio-Aparicio,Rosario Ferrer-Cascales

doi:10.3390/nu10121894

Ana Laguna-Pérez, Natalia Albaladejo-Blázquez + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10121894

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Journal: Nutrients	Publication Date: Dec 3, 2018
Citations: 17	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Alicante

Abstract

Loneliness perception during adolescence has been increased dramatically in recent years. Changes in lifestyle and difficulties in social interaction could explain this increased phenomenon. As described in previous research, this fact has been associated with the development of high stress levels and dysfunctional lifestyles, in which eating habits play a main role. In this regard, loneliness has been classically associated with poor eating habits, fundamentally the consumption of processed food with little nutritional value. However, the relationship between loneliness and healthy eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean Diet (MD), has not been previously analyzed. The main aim of the present study was to identify the relationship between perceived loneliness, stress, dietary habits, and adherence to the MD in a sample of 527 Spanish adolescents. The obtained results show a significant association between high perceived loneliness and high stress levels with lower MD adherence. Hence, adolescents with high perceived loneliness exhibit poor dietary habits in comparison to those counterparts with low perceived loneliness. Mediation analyses demonstrated an indirect effect of the loneliness on adherence to the MD through the mediation effect of stress. These findings point out a possible mechanism that underlies the classic association between loneliness and health deterioration, based on a poor adherence to a healthy dietary pattern, such as the MD.

Highlights

IntroductionThe Mediterranean Diet (MD), a recognized healthy dietary pattern, is characterized by being rich in plant food (fruits, cereals, vegetables, legumes, nuts), with a significant intake of olive oil, a moderate consumption of fish, seafood, eggs, poultry, and dairy products, along with a low consumption of red meats [1,2,3]
The Mediterranean Diet (MD), a recognized healthy dietary pattern, is characterized by being rich in plant food, with a significant intake of olive oil, a moderate consumption of fish, seafood, eggs, poultry, and dairy products, along with a low consumption of red meats [1,2,3]
Age and sex were covariated in the model, but did not reveal a significant connection. These results indicate that higher levels of perceived loneliness are related to a lower adherence to MD trough the effects of higher stress levels

Summary

Introduction

The Mediterranean Diet (MD), a recognized healthy dietary pattern, is characterized by being rich in plant food (fruits, cereals, vegetables, legumes, nuts), with a significant intake of olive oil, a moderate consumption of fish, seafood, eggs, poultry, and dairy products, along with a low consumption of red meats [1,2,3]. Several studies have shown the beneficial effects of this dietary pattern on the psychological and physical health across the lifespan. High adherence to the MD has been related to better health-related quality of life, academic performance and sleep quality, among others [5,6,7]. It has been found that the adoption of this healthy dietary pattern reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, as well as cancer, and the incidence of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s [10,11,12,13], being associated

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