A Mediterranean diet score validation in people at cardiovascular risk
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Validation of a 14-item screener used to assess Mediterranean diet adherence among people at high cardiovascular risk in the UK
IRAS ID
163327
Contact name
Angeliki Papadaki
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
Cardiovascular disease (CVD, heart disease and stroke) is on the increase in the UK. A recent study in Spain showed that eating a Mediterranean diet can prevent these diseases and help with other health problems, such as obesity and high cholesterol. We believe that helping people at high risk of cardiovascular disease in the UK to eat a Mediterranean diet – one rich in olive oil, fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts, fish - will reduce cardiovascular disease in this country. However, we first need to find reliable ways to assess whether people eat a Mediterranean diet. This validation study therefore aims to test whether a short screener developed in the aforementioned Spanish study could be used to assess how far people follow a Mediterranean diet in the UK.
The study will last 8 months and will involve 100 adults at high risk of cardiovascular disease. The study will recruit adults from within primary care in Bristol and participants will be initially approached by their General Practitioner. Participants will attend their local General Practice and we will measure how much they follow the Mediterranean diet by asking them to complete the screener and a 3-day food record. We will compare the results of these two methods and examine how far sticking to a Mediterranean diet relates to participants’ body weight, waist circumference, blood pressure and blood lipid and glucose levels. We will ask participants to return to their General Practice for a brief appointment a month later, when they will complete the screener again. This will help us to see if the screener is fit for purpose and whether it produces similar answers on two different occasions. If it does, we will use the screener in further research to assess people’s diets quickly and advise them on eating a Mediterranean diet.
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/SW/1127
Date of REC Opinion
4 Dec 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion