Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
36th EFFoST International Conference 2022, Dublin, İrlanda, 7 - 09 Kasım 2022, ss.56
Aim: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is recognized as the common cultural heritage of Mediterranean communities. However, dietary changes occur in Mediterranean countries due to lifestyle changes. It is important to understand the barriers and challenges that prevent citizens from adhering to long-term MD. The aim of this study is to determine MD adherence and the factors affecting it in family members of 6 Mediterranean countries (Spain, Turkey, Morocco, Italy, Lebanon, and Egypt), within the scope of the EU PRIMA SWITCHtoHEALTHY project.
Method: In this EU project, as a cross-sectional study, the comprehensive survey will be applied to at least 200 family members in each country and a total of 1200 family members. The following data will be collected: i) demographic data; ii) adherence to the MD will be assessed using the validated Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) in adults and the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) for children and adolescents; iii) behaviours of family members towards MD will be evaluated by a questionnaire developed by the researchers. It includes questions about the health benefits, diet quality, nutrition literacy, convenience, and environmental impact of MD. In addition, barriers to healthy eating will be questioned. Family relations section includes questions such as family meals eaten together, eating with the television on and phone use during meal time; iv) lifestyle factors will be determined using the validated Mediterranean Lifestyle (MEDLIFE) index. It consists of 32 items divided into three blocks including questions about food consumption, dietary habits and physical activity, rest and social interactions. The statistical analysis will be performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) package program.
Results: In this study, which will be concluded in September 2022, we will reveal the MD adherence levels of the participants. MD adherence differences will be assessed by sociodemographic characteristics, dietary habits, lifestyle, barriers to healthy eating, and family relations. Accordingly, we expect to identify a list of barriers to MD adherence.
Conclusion: The results from this research will help to generate and enforcing adherence of the Mediterranean dietary patterns in the Mediterranean countries in order to provide sustainable healthy life-style.