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Updated: May 10, 2025

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Cross-sectional associations between Mediterranean diet and body composition in preschool children. CORAL study

Alicia Larruy-García1, María L Miguel-Berges1,2, Isabel Rueda-De Torre1,2

  • 1Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development (GENUD) Research Group, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Zaragoza, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain.

Pediatric Obesity
|April 22, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is linked to better body composition in Spanish children. Promoting this diet can help prevent childhood obesity and related health issues.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Obesity Prevention
  • Dietary Patterns

Background:

  • Global rise in childhood overweight and obesity.
  • Mediterranean diet as a potential intervention for obesity and related diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Assess the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and body composition in Spanish preschool children.
  • Investigate the role of the Mediterranean diet in pediatric body composition.

Main Methods:

  • Study included 1218 Spanish children aged 3-6 years.
  • Validated questionnaires (MED4CHILD, COME-Kids F&B-FQ) assessed Mediterranean diet adherence.
  • Body composition (BMI, Fat Mass, FFMI, Waist-to-Height ratio) measured; multivariate regression and ANCOVA used for analysis.

Main Results:

  • Higher Mediterranean diet adherence correlated with favorable body composition (lower BMI, higher fat-free mass, better waist-to-height ratio).
  • Significant associations found with BMI, FFMI, and Waist-to-Height ratio, with sex differences observed.
  • Effect sizes ranged from small to moderate, indicating a positive trend.

Conclusions:

  • Mediterranean diet adherence is significantly associated with favorable body composition in Spanish children.
  • Promoting the Mediterranean diet is crucial for preventing childhood overweight and obesity.
  • Dietary patterns play a key role in pediatric health outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
Mediterranean dietbody compositionbody fatpreschool children

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