Healthy Lifestyle: Relationship between Mediterranean Diet, Body Composition and Physical Fitness in 13 to 16-Years Old Icelandic Students

• Published in: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Main Authors: Galan-Lopez, Pablo, Ries, Francis, Gísladóttir, Þórdís Lilja, Domínguez, Raúl, Sánchez-Oliver, Antonio
• Other Authors: Rannsóknarstofa í íþrótta- og heilsufræði (HÍ), Research Centre for Sport and Health Science (UI), Menntavísindasvið (HÍ), School of Education (UI), Háskóli Íslands, University of Iceland
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018
• Subjects: Adolescents; Physical fitness; Mediterranean diet; Body composition; Unglingar; Líkamsrækt; Offita; Mataræði; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/1222; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15122632

Publisher's version (útgefin grein) Childhood and adolescent obesity are currently among the greatest challenges for public health. Physical activity, physical fitness, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), representing powerful indicators of healthy lifestyles, are shown as determinant factors in the prevention and treatment of obesity. The aim of the present study has been to analyse the relationship between health-related physical fitness components, body composition, and adherence to MD in 387 Icelandic adolescents of 13–16-years old (54% boys). The ALPHA Fitness Test was used to measure physical fitness and body composition. The KIDMED questionnaire was used to assess the adherence to MD among participants. Associations between variables were tested according to gender and age using linear regression models and analysis of variance. Participants with high/medium adherence to MD showed significantly higher endurance scores in both the boys and the girls. Gender differences were found. The boys in high/medium MD categories had significantly lower fat percentages and ran a 4 × 10 m sprint faster than the girls. The girls scored higher than the boys in endurance and speed-agility tests. It can be concluded that a high and medium adherence to MD is associated with high and very high endurance in both the girls and the boys. This work was supported by the fifth Research Programme 2013-2016 (PPI2015-IV.5 / PP2016-EBRV) of the University of Seville, Seville, Spain and the University of Iceland Research Fund, Reykjavik, Iceland. Peer Reviewed