PD915 - MEDITERRANEAN DIET ADHERENCE AND ITS CORRELATION WITH ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

PD915

MEDITERRANEAN DIET ADHERENCE AND ITS CORRELATION WITH ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

M. Pleština^1,2,*, L. Štrbac^1,2, E. Kolak Gaurina^1,2, M. Selak^1,2, K. Blažević^1,2, L. Štrkalj², D. Bučan Nenadić^1,2

¹Nutrition and Dietetics Department, University Hospital Centre Split, Split, ² Croatian Association of Nutritionists, Zagreb, Croatia

Rationale: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a high-quality dietary pattern characterized by increased uptake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and olive oil. In early childhood, dietary habits strongly influence growth and long-term cardiometabolic health, while anthropometric indicators serve as markers of nutritional status. Research suggests that better adherence to MD in preschool children is associated with more favorable body composition. However, adherence in early childhood varies, underscoring the need to examine its link with anthropometric outcomes in preschoolers.

Methods: 429 preschool children aged 4 to 7 years were included. The KIDMED questionnaire was used to assess adherence to MD. Anthropometric parameters were evaluated and expressed as z-score. The associations between individual KIDMED items, total KIDMED score, and anthropometric parameters were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.

Results: Daily fruit consumption correlated with z-score (p=0.01), as well as waist circumference (p<0,001). Breakfast consumption of dairy products showed a positive correlation with z-score (p=0.02) and daily yogurt intake was positively associated with hip circumference (p=0.01). The total KIDMED score was not significantly correlated with z-score, waist circumference, or hip circumference.

Conclusion: Inverse correlation between daily fruit consumption and lower z-scores may reflect an overall healthier dietary pattern, potentially accompanied by reduced intake of energy-dense foods. In contrast, positive associations between dairy products for breakfast, daily yogurt consumption, and higher z-scores or hip/waist circumference may be partly explained by the consumption of sweetened dairy products. These findings suggest that the type, frequency and quality of specific food groups may affect anthropometric outcomes in preschool children.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared