Is Mediterranean dietary pattern associated with metabolic health status in adolescents?

Background and Objective: Data on the association between dietary patterns and metabolic health among children and adolescents in the Middle Eastern is limited. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relation between the Mediterranean diet and metabolic health status in Iranian adolescents.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on ۲۰۳ overweight/obese adolescents. Dietary intakes were evaluated by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric parameters and blood pressure status were measured. Fasting blood samples were obtained to determine circulating insulin, glucose and lipid profile. Two different methods were applied to classify participants as metabolically healthy obese (MHO) or unhealthy obese (MUO); ۱) modified International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria and ۲) IDF criteria along with insulin resistance.Results: Considering IDF criteria, higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was related to lower odds of being MUO, both in the crude (OR: ۰.۱۷; ۹۵%CI: ۰.۰۸-۰.۳۷) and maximally-adjusted model (OR: ۰.۳۳; ۹۵%CI: ۰.۱۳-۰.۸۴). However, based on the IDF/HOMA-IR criteria, this association was not significant after considering all of the confounders (OR: ۰.۴۷; ۹۵%CI: ۰.۱۷-۱.۳۰). According to IDF criteria, after excluding meats and dairy products from the Mediterranean diet construction, adolescents with the highest adherence, compared to those with the lowest, had a ۶۱% and ۶۲% fewer chance of being MUO, respectively. No further associations were found.Conclusion: We found an inverse association between the Mediterranean diet and odds of MUO among Iranian adolescents based on IDF criteria. Conversely, no significant relation was found considering HOMA-IR/IDF definition.

کلیدواژه ها:

Mediterranean diet ، Obesity ، Metabolically health status ، Adolescents