TY - JOUR
T1 - Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with lower prevalence of obesity among elderly people living in Mediterranean islands
T2 - The MEDIS study
AU - Tyrovolas, Stefanos
AU - Bountziouka, Vassiliki
AU - Papairakleous, Natassa
AU - Zeimbekis, Akis
AU - Anastassiou, Foteini
AU - Gotsis, Efthimios
AU - Metallinos, George
AU - Polychronopoulos, Evangelos
AU - Lionis, Christos
AU - Panagiotakos, Demosthenes
PY - 2009/9
Y1 - 2009/9
N2 - Background: The aim of the present work was to evaluate the relationships between socio-demographic, clinical, lifestyle and psychological characteristics and the presence of obesity, among elderly individuals without known cardiovascular disease. Methods: During 2005-2007, 553 elderly men and 637 elderly women (mean age 74±7 years) from eight Mediterranean Islands in Greece and Cyprus were enrolled. The retrieved information included demographic, bio-clinical and dietary characteristics. The MedDietScore assessed adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern. Results: The prevalence of obesity was 27% in males and 41% in females (P <0.001), while 48% of males and 39% of females were overweight. The prevalence of diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension was higher in the obese elderly than in the overweight or normal (P <0.001). After adjusting for various confounders, one unit increase in the MedDietScore was associated with 88% (P =0.07) lower likelihood of being obese; similarly, physical activity was associated with 81% lower likelihood of obesity (P <0.001). Conclusions: Roughly seven out of 10 of our elderly were overweight or obese, while the majority of them presented other co-morbidities, too. Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet may reduce the burden of obesity among elderly individuals.
AB - Background: The aim of the present work was to evaluate the relationships between socio-demographic, clinical, lifestyle and psychological characteristics and the presence of obesity, among elderly individuals without known cardiovascular disease. Methods: During 2005-2007, 553 elderly men and 637 elderly women (mean age 74±7 years) from eight Mediterranean Islands in Greece and Cyprus were enrolled. The retrieved information included demographic, bio-clinical and dietary characteristics. The MedDietScore assessed adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern. Results: The prevalence of obesity was 27% in males and 41% in females (P <0.001), while 48% of males and 39% of females were overweight. The prevalence of diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension was higher in the obese elderly than in the overweight or normal (P <0.001). After adjusting for various confounders, one unit increase in the MedDietScore was associated with 88% (P =0.07) lower likelihood of being obese; similarly, physical activity was associated with 81% lower likelihood of obesity (P <0.001). Conclusions: Roughly seven out of 10 of our elderly were overweight or obese, while the majority of them presented other co-morbidities, too. Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet may reduce the burden of obesity among elderly individuals.
KW - Elderly
KW - Mediterranean diet
KW - Obesity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77951433226&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09637480903130546
DO - 10.1080/09637480903130546
M3 - Article
C2 - 19672745
AN - SCOPUS:77951433226
SN - 0963-7486
VL - 60
SP - 137
EP - 150
JO - International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition
JF - International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition
IS - SUPPL. 6
ER -