Tuesday

Spanish Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet: trends of the last two decades

A recently published study has analyzed the evolution of adherence to the Mediterranean Deit (MD) from 1987 to 2005 in Spain. Household consumption records by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food were analyzed and a downward trend in adherence could be observed in the first decade, from 1987 to 1997, and a period of stabilization  in the last decade, from 1998 to 2005, which a slight recovery in recent years.

Adherence to the MD was measured with the MAI index, calculated as the quotient of dividing the energy from traditional foods from this diet by the energy from traditional non-Mediterranean foods. The higher the rate, the better the adhesion to the MD.

The result of applying the MAI index differs depending on the region. Taking into account the past 20 years, the communities closest to the Mediterranean Sea (Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia) have a higher rate, while the most remote communities have a lower index. In the past 3 years (from 2002 to 2005), the regions of Catalonia, Andalusia, Navarra and Cantabria are significantly more adherent to the MD than Valencia, Galicia and Castilla – La Mancha.

The authors warn of the need to design community interventions to preserve this dietary pattern well known for its health benefits.

Bach-Faig A, Fuentes-Bol C, Ramos D, Carrasco JL, Roman B, Bertomeu IF, Cristià E, Geleva D, Serra-Majem L.

The Mediterranean diet in Spain: adherence trends during the past two decades using the Mediterranean Adequacy Index. Public Health Nutr. 2011 Apr;14(4):622-8. Epub 2010 Oct 29.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21029509