The Correlation Between Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and HOMA-IR in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Introduction: Nowadays, children’s exposure to the obesogenic environment can lead to obesity and insulin resistance in the early period. However, it is suggested that the risk of developing health problems such as obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes may decrease with increasing adherence to the Mediterranean diet. This study was aimed to evaluate the relationship between insulin resistance and the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) in children and adolescents. Materials and Methods: A total of 174 children and adolescents (35.6% boys, 64.4% girls) with a mean age of 11.6±3.17 years were included in the study. The data were collected by a questionnaire containing individuals’ socio-demographic information, anthropometric measurements, KIDMED, and 24-hour food consumption records. According to World Health Organization criteria, the body mass index z-scores of the participants were evaluated, and participants were divided into three groups as normal weight (29.9%), overweight (23.6%), and obesity (46.5%). Results: This study’s findings were: mean KIDMED score was 5.7±2.62 points in the normal weight group, 5.4±2.39 points in the overweight group, and 4.6±2.70 points in the obesity group which was significantly lower than the normal weight group (p<0.05). Additionally, the mean KIDMED score of children with insulin resistance (4.3±2.72) was lower than those without insulin resistance (5.4±2.57) (p<0.05). A negative, moderate, and significant correlation was found between the participants’ KIDMED scores and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance value (r=-0.338, p<0.001). Conclusion: The low level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with the risk of developing insulin resistance.