P Gnagnarella1, D Dragà2, A M Misotti3, S Sieri4, L Spaggiari5, E Cassano6, F Baldini7, L Soldati8, P Maisonneuve2. 1. Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: patrizia.gnagnarella@ieo.it. 2. Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. 3. UOSD Dietologia e Nutrizione Clinica, ASST Melegnano e Martesana, Italy. 4. Department of Research, Epidemiology and Prevention Unit, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy. 5. Department of Thoracic Surgery, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Emato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. 6. Breast Imaging Division, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. 7. Division of Melanoma, Sarcoma and Rare Cancer, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. 8. Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been associated with a reduced risk of major chronic diseases and cancer. The aim of the study was to assess the validity of a new short self-administered 15-item questionnaire (QueMD) to measure adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Italy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four-hundred and eighty three participants to cancer-screening programmes at the European Institute of Oncology, Milan (Italy) were invited to join this study. Those interested compiled the QueMD and a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) reporting their usual food consumption during the previous six months. We derived the alternate Mediterranean score (aMED) from both questionnaires with values ranging from 0 (minimal adherence) to 9 (maximal adherence). Complete dietary data were available for 343 individuals (participation rates 71.0%). Spearman correlation coefficient between the responses to the 15 questions of the QueMD and corresponding food intake derived from the FFQ ranged from 0.15 to 0.84. A moderate correlation was found between the aMED scores calculated from the QueMD and the FFQ (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.50; 95% CI, 0.42-0.58), while agreement between the two instruments was only poor to fair for 7 of the 9 single items composing the aMED score, with values ranging from 53.0% for wholegrain products to 79.5% for fruits. CONCLUSION: This new self-administered 15-item questionnaire could be a useful tool to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the Italian population.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been associated with a reduced risk of major chronic diseases and cancer. The aim of the study was to assess the validity of a new short self-administered 15-item questionnaire (QueMD) to measure adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Italy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four-hundred and eighty three participants to cancer-screening programmes at the European Institute of Oncology, Milan (Italy) were invited to join this study. Those interested compiled the QueMD and a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) reporting their usual food consumption during the previous six months. We derived the alternate Mediterranean score (aMED) from both questionnaires with values ranging from 0 (minimal adherence) to 9 (maximal adherence). Complete dietary data were available for 343 individuals (participation rates 71.0%). Spearman correlation coefficient between the responses to the 15 questions of the QueMD and corresponding food intake derived from the FFQ ranged from 0.15 to 0.84. A moderate correlation was found between the aMED scores calculated from the QueMD and the FFQ (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.50; 95% CI, 0.42-0.58), while agreement between the two instruments was only poor to fair for 7 of the 9 single items composing the aMED score, with values ranging from 53.0% for wholegrain products to 79.5% for fruits. CONCLUSION: This new self-administered 15-item questionnaire could be a useful tool to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the Italian population.
Authors: Sara Raimondi; Giulio Cammarata; Giovanna Testa; Federica Bellerba; Federica Galli; Patrizia Gnagnarella; Maria Luisa Iannuzzo; Dorotea Ricci; Alessandro Sartorio; Clementina Sasso; Gabriella Pravettoni; Sara Gandini Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-06-28 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: María I Fontalba-Romero; Soledad Lopez-Enriquez; Ana Lago-Sampedro; Eva García-Escobar; Ricardo L Pastori; Juan Domínguez-Bendala; Silvia Álvarez-Cubela; Sergio Valdes; Gemma Rojo; Eduardo Garcia-Fuentes; María T Labajos-Manzanares; Sara García-Serrano Journal: Nutrients Date: 2021-01-29 Impact factor: 5.717
Authors: Melania Prete; Anna Luzzetti; Livia S A Augustin; Giuseppe Porciello; Concetta Montagnese; Ilaria Calabrese; Giada Ballarin; Sergio Coluccia; Linia Patel; Sara Vitale; Elvira Palumbo; Egidio Celentano; Carlo La Vecchia; Anna Crispo Journal: Nutrients Date: 2021-06-03 Impact factor: 5.717