Modified Mediterranean diet score adapted to a southern Mediterranean population and its relation to overweight and obesity risk

• Published in: Public health nutrition 2021-09, Vol.24 (13), p.4064-4070
• Main Authors: El Kinany, Khaoula, Mint Sidi Deoula, Meimouna, Hatime, Zineb, Boudouaya, Hanae Abir, Atassi, Mariam, El Asri, Achraf, Benslimane, Abdelilah, Nejjari, Chakib, Ibrahimi, Sidi Adil, Lagiou, Pagona, El Rhazi, Karima
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Body weight; Cereals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dairy products; Design modifications; Diet; Diet, Mediterranean; Female; Fish; Fruits; GDP; Gross Domestic Product; Humans; Legumes; Male; Meat; Men; Nutritional Epidemiology; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Overweight; Overweight - epidemiology; Population; Population studies; Poultry; Questionnaires; Religion; Research Paper; Risk; Rural areas; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urban areas; Vegetables
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980020002062

The current study aimed to develop a modified Mediterranean diet (MMD) score adjusted to the southern Mediterranean countries' cultural specificities and to evaluate associations between adherence to this modified score and overweight/obesity risk in Moroccan adults. Population-based cross-sectional study. Rural and urban areas of the five greatest provinces of Morocco. In total, 1516 participants were recruited between September 2009 and February 2017. Dietary assessment was obtained using a validated Moroccan FFQ. We constructed a MMD score focusing on twelve components. The MMD score ranged from 0 (no adherence to the traditional southern Mediterranean diet (MD)) to 12 (maximal adherence) and was categorised as low (scores 0-4), moderate (scores 5-7) and high (scores 8-12). Among the whole population, 754 (50·5 %) were women and 738 (49·5 %) were men, and the mean age was about 55·60 ± 13·70. In total, 58 % of participants were moderately active. Regarding educational level, 50·7 % were illiterate. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 43·3 and 8·6 %, respectively. In multivariate analyses, close adherence to MMD (scores 8-12) was associated with reduced overweight/obesity risk (OR 0·61, 95 % CI 0·44, 0·84). The prevalence of overweight and obesity was very high among Moroccan adults. Adherence to the traditional southern MD may help prevent overweight and obesity.