ESPE Abstracts (2016) 86 P-P1-469

ESPE2016 Poster Presentations Fat Metabolism and Obesity P1 (48 abstracts)

Assessment of Adherence to Mediterranean Diet during a Weight Loss Intervention in Children with Cardiometabolic Risk

Lydia Morell-Azanza a, , Amaia Ochotorena-Elicegui c , Ana Catalan-Lamban c , Maria Chueca b, , Amelia Marti a, & Cristina Azcona San Julian b,


aDepartment of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; bNavarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; cPaediatric Endocrinology Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; dCIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; ePaediatric Endocrinology Unit, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain


Background: Dietary patterns have notably changed in Mediterranean countries during the last decades. Mediterranean diet (MeDiet) is associated with lower prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases.

Objective and hypotheses: To assess adherence to MeDiet in children and adolescents with abdominal obesity during a comprehensive weight loss intervention.

Method: Children and adolescents with abdominal obesity (waist circumference >p90) were enrolled in a randomized study during 8 weeks. Participants were divided into a control group (n=17) and an intervention group (n=46) according to a 1:3 relation. Conventional nutritional and lifestyle recommendations based in National Health System guidelines were explained to control participants. The weight loss program for the intervention participants consisted of a moderate calorie-restricted diet calculated according to children’s obesity degree. The degree of adherence to MeDiet was evaluated using the KIDMED index which categorized the quality of Mediterranean Diet as high (≥8 points), medium (4–7points) and poor (≤ 3 points). Statistical analyses (paired t-test) were performed in software STATA 12.0, and results are expressed as mean and S.D.

Results: Sixty-three participants (45 girls) aged between 7 and 17 years (11.12, 2.47) were assessed. The weight loss in the intervention group was statistically significant (ΔBMI-SDS: −0.53, 0.43; P<0.001). A medium adherence to MeDiet at baseline was found in all the subjects (KIDMED scorecontrol 5.64, 1.57, KIDMED scoreintervention 5.97, 2.03). Furthermore, after 8 weeks of intervention, 89% of participants of the intervention group had a significant higher KIDMED index 8.80, 1.37 (P<0.001). Moreover, at the end of the weight loss program, 98% of intervention participants had daily breakfast (PΔ=0.017), and 91.3% reported to consume fish at least 2–3/week (PΔ<0.001).

Conclusion: In children with high abdominal obesity a reduction in BMI-SDS improvement during a weight loss intervention was accompanied by an increase in adherence to MeDiet pattern.

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