Does adherence to a Mediterranean diet affect health-related quality of life during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic?

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on dietary patterns, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), as well as establish the factors affecting adherence to the MedDiet and the relationship between MedDiet compliance and HRQoL during the pandemic period.<br /> Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional study (n = 1689) using a self-administered online questionnaire featuring anthropometric measurements, sociodemographic characteristics, nutritional habits, dietary supplement usage, and three scales. We applied the Beck Depression Inventory, Short-Form 12item Questionnaire, and MedDiet Adherence Screener to evaluate participants' mental health, HRQoL, and diet quality, respectively.<br /> Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, adherence to the MedDiet increased significantly (6.1 +/- 2.2 vs. 6.3 +/- 2.4; p < 0.001). However, mental health scores declined significantly (46.1 +/- 7.3 vs. 40.6 +/- 6.8; p < 0.001). Females (p = 0.020), those with high education levels (p < 0.05), and those with chronic diseases (p = 0.022) had a lower risk of poor adherence to MedDiet, whereas those with a higher body mass index (BMI) had a higher risk (p = 0.023). Greater adherence to the MedDiet was associated with an increased mental health score (beta = 0.220, 95 % CI: 0.088, 0.352, p = 0.001). This positive association was observed (p < 0.05) among both genders (male: beta = 0.263, 95 % CI: 0.023, 0.503 and female: beta = 0.198, 95 % CI: 0.040, 0.356), individuals without chronic diseases (beta = 0.226, 95 % CI: 0.080, 0.372), those aged >= 40 years (beta = 0.430, 95 % CI: 0.119, 0.741), and those whose income was less than (beta = 0.342, 95 % CI: 0.082, 0.602) or equal to their expenses (beta = 0.222, 95 % CI: 0.046, 0.399).<br /> Conclusions: Given the strong impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people's HRQoL and evidence for an improvement in HRQoL through healthy eating, these findings shed light on the relevance of developing strategies to promote MedDiet compliance in this population.<br /> (c) 2025 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Journal

CLINICAL NUTRITION ESPEN

Year

2025

Volume

69

Pages

665-672

ISSN

2405-4577

DOI

10.1016/j.clnesp.2025.08.020

WoS UID

WOS:001568704200001