The mediterranean diet, lifestyle factors, dyslexia, ADHD in university students of Greece

Abstract

This study examines the association between diet and other lifestyle factors of students with dyslexia and ADHD and compare it to students without learning disabilities. The study involved 210 students from Greek universities, aged 18-30 years old (ADHD n = 34; Dyslexia n=27, Students without learning disabilities n = 149). Students completed a specifically created questionnaire online, to examine their demographic traits, adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, sleep quality, perceived stress, and life satisfaction. Significant variations were identified in the responses when it came to life satisfaction, with students with ADHD reporting lower levels (p = 0.005). Students in the lower tertile of Mediterranean Diet (OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.1-2.0 p = 0.005) were more likely to have learning disabilities than the higher tertile where the odds were 35% lower (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.49-0.87, p = 0.005). The probability that students will have learning disabilities increases with poorer adherence to the Mediterranean Diet. It is necessary to conduct further research on how students with learning disabilities behave when it comes to their nutrition and other health-related activities.