Premium
Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was positively associated with micronutrient adequacy and negatively associated with dietary energy density among adolescents
Author(s) -
Peng W.,
Berry E. M.,
Goldsmith R.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of human nutrition and dietetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1365-277X
pISSN - 0952-3871
DOI - 10.1111/jhn.12602
Subject(s) - micronutrient , medicine , mediterranean diet , nutrient , nutrient density , vitamin , riboflavin , zoology , vitamin c , vitamin d and neurology , food science , biology , ecology , pathology
Background The possible associations between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and micronutrient and energy intakes are unknown among Israeli adolescents. Methods A cross‐sectional, nationally representative, school‐based study was conducted in Israeli adolescents. Schoolchildren ( n = 5005), aged 11–18 years, who completed a food frequency questionnaire and had complete data to compose a 14‐item modified KIDMED score were included. Results The nutrient intakes for all the micronutrients showed a significant monotonic increase in the poor, average and good KIDMED groups (all P < 0.001). The same monotonic increasing was also shown in nutrient densities for most micronutrients (for calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B 6 , folate in both genders, additionally for phosphorus in girls) (all P < 0.05). A positive association was shown between the percentages of students with adequate intakes ( AI s) or recommended dietary allowances ( RDA s) in micronutrients and modified KIDMED scores. The positive association also existed between the number of micronutrients with AI s or RDA s and modified KIDMED scores ( r = 0.495 and 0.501, P < 0.001) for boys and girls, respectively. By contrast, dietary energy density (calibrated by 1000 kcal) was negatively linearly associated with modified KIDMED scores, and a significant monotonic decrease in energy density was shown among the poor, average and good KIDMED groups (all P < 0.001). Conclusions The modified KIDMED score was positively associated with better micronutrient profile and negatively associated with dietary energy density in Israeli adolescents, indicating that the KIDMED index is a useful tool for combating the malnutrition of micronutrient deficiency and overweight/obesity.