Mediterranean diet and quality of life: Baseline cross-sectional analysis of the PREDIMED-PLUS trial.

• Main Authors: Iñigo Galilea-Zabalza, Pilar Buil-Cosiales, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Estefanía Toledo, Carolina Ortega-Azorín, Javier Díez-Espino, Zenaida Vázquez-Ruiz, María Dolores Zomeño, Jesús Vioque, José Alfredo Martínez, Dora Romaguera, Napoleón Perez-Farinos, José López-Miranda, Ramón Estruch, Aurora Bueno-Cavanillas, Fernando Arós, Josep Antoni Tur, Francisco Tinahones, Lluis Serra-Majem, Alba Marcos-Delgado, Manuel Ortega-Calvo, Clotilde Vázquez, Xavier Pintó, Josep Vidal, Lidia Daimiel, Miguel Delgado-Rodríguez, Pilar Matía, Dolores Corella, Andrés Diaz-López, Nancy Babio, Miguel Angel Muñoz, Montse Fitó, Sandra González-Palacios, Itziar Abete, Antonio García-Rios, Emilio Ros, Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, PREDIMED-PLUS Study Investigators
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2018-01-01
• Series: PLoS ONE
• Online Access: http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6005498?pdf=render

We assessed if a 17-item score capturing adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) was associated with better health-related quality of life among older Spanish men and women with overweight or obesity harboring the metabolic syndrome. We analyzed baseline data from 6430 men and women (age 55-70 years) participating in the PREDIMED-Plus study. PREDIMED-Plus is a multi-centre randomized trial testing an energy-restricted MedDiet combined with promotion of physical activity and behavioral therapy for primary cardiovascular prevention compared to a MedDiet alone. Participants answered a 36-item questionnaire about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and a 17-item questionnaire that assessed adherence to an MedDiet. We used ANCOVA and multivariable-adjusted linear regression models to compare baseline adjusted means of the quality of life scales according to categories of adherence to the MedDiet. Higher adherence to the MedDiet was independently associated with significantly better scores in the eight dimensions of HRQoL. Adjusted differences of > = 3 points between the highest and the lowest dietary adherence groups to the MedDiet were observed for vitality, emotional role, and mental health and of > = 2 points for the other dimensions. In conclusion, this study shows a positive association between adherence to a MedDiet and several dimensions of quality of life.