Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Health Outcomes in Adolescents: An Umbrella Review

Abstract

Abstract Context Proper nutrition represents 1 of the domains of adolescents' well-being. In this context, the Mediterranean diet (MD), as a healthy, traditional, and sustainable dietary pattern, plays a crucial role in promoting adequate growth and preventing chronic noncommunicable diseases. Objective The currently available evidence on the effects of adherence to the MD (AMD) in association with several physical health outcomes in adolescence is summarized in this review. Data Sources Five electronic databases were searched. Study Selection Systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized clinical trials, published in English during 2013–2022, and that assessed the health impact of AMD among adolescents were eligible. Data Extraction Details on study design, methods, population, assessment of dietary patterns, health outcomes, and main results were extracted. Results The search yielded 59 references after removal of duplicates. Applying PICOS criteria, 4 systematic reviews and 3 meta-analyses ultimately were included in this review. The AMD was evaluated in association with overweight/obesity and adiposity in 2 studies, musculoskeletal health in another 2, inflammation in 1 study, and cardiometabolic health in 1 study. The seventh review examined all mentioned health outcomes (overweight and obesity, musculoskeletal health, inflammation, and cardiometabolic health) in relation to AMD. Conclusions Overall, this umbrella review showed limited evidence and a lack of consistency about the relation between AMD and health outcomes of interest in adolescence, indicating the need for more studies to better understand it. Systemic Review Registration PROSPERO registration no. CRD42023428712.