Modified Mediterranean Diet Score Adapted To A Southern Mediterranean Population And Its Relation To Overweight And Obesity Risk

Objectives: 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. Design: Population-based cross-sectional study. Setting: Rural and urban areas of the five greatest provinces of Morocco. Participants: 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). Results: Among the whole population, 754 (50 center dot 5 %) were women and 738 (49 center dot 5 %) were men, and the mean age was about 55 center dot 60 +/- 13 center dot 70. In total, 58 % of participants were moderately active. Regarding educational level, 50 center dot 7 % were illiterate. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 43 center dot 3 and 8 center dot 6 %, respectively. In multivariate analyses, close adherence to MMD (scores 8-12) was associated with reduced overweight/obesity risk (OR 0 center dot 61, 95 % CI 0 center dot 44, 0 center dot 84). Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was very high among Moroccan adults. Adherence to the traditional southern MD may help prevent overweight and obesity.