Chapter 21 - Measuring the adherence to the mediterranean diet in adult population

This chapter examines the importance of measuring adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) using the Mediterranean Composite Score tailored for the Italian population. By analyzing data from the Multipurpose Household Survey (MHS) by ISTAT (2019–2022), this chapter explores food consumption patterns, health status, and lifestyle behaviors across Italy. The findings reveal medium adherence as predominant and stable over time, yet varying geographically, with higher adherence in the North-East and Center regions. Socio-economic factors, including education, income, and environmental concerns, significantly influence adherence levels. Higher adherence is linked to greater physical activity, nonsmoking status, and lower psychological distress. Results highlight the need for a unified index to measure MD adherence, ensuring consistent evaluations of its health, economic, and environmental impacts, enhancing public health strategies and policies.