Abstract
A certain link exists between the consumption of particular groups of food and well-being. In this study, we analyzed in depth the relationship between strict adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and emotional well-being through a descriptive, exploratory, transversal, and correlational study of students from the Campus of Melilla, University of Granada, Spain. The sample consisted of 272 individuals. Adherence to the MD was measured with the PREvención con DIetaMEDiterránea (PREDIMED) questionnaire, emotional well-being (both positive and negative affection) with the Spanish version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the state of perceived health with the Short Form-36 (SF36), and the degree of physical activity using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). A strict adherence to the MD was found to be significantly related to positive emotional state (β = 0.018, p = 0.009). The perceived state of health (β = 0.192, p < 0.001), mental role (β = 0.346, p < 0.001), and physical activity (β = 0.155, p = 0.007) were found to be predictive factors of a positive emotional state. Conversely, the relationship between the adherence to the MD and a negative emotional state was not significant. Various components of the MD were found to be independently connected to well-being. The results suggest that adopting a nutritional pattern such as the MD is linked to an improvement in emotional well-being.
Highlights
The age range considered to correspond to adolescence varies
Adolescence is, in general, a period of physical development characterized by significant changes in the cognitive, psychological, and emotional dimensions, which affect the quality of life (QoL), well-being, and state of health of teenagers [3,4]
Most of the sample responded that they used olive oil as their main culinary fat (95.20%)
Summary
The age range considered to correspond to adolescence varies. Some authors delimit adolescence as the period between 10 and 20 years of age [1], but The Lancet commission about health and well-being divides adolescence into three categories: early adolescence (10–14 years), late adolescence (15–19 years), and young adulthood (20–24 years). Early adolescence is dominated by puberty and sexual development; late adolescence is characterized by pubertal maturation, to a lesser extent than early adolescence; and young adulthood corresponds to the adoption of the roles and responsibilities of adults [2]. Adolescence is, in general, a period of physical development characterized by significant changes in the cognitive, psychological, and emotional dimensions, which affect the quality of life (QoL), well-being, and state of health of teenagers [3,4]. This phase of development is one of the most complex, since this is when unhealthy behaviors can be acquired [1,5].
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