Table 3.
Study characteristics of the recent prospective studies investigating adherence to the Mediterranean diet and health outcomes
| Author, year (cohort) | Country | n/N | Outcome | Follow-up (years) | Age (years) | Sex | Components of the adherence score | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sjorgen et al.( 7 ), 2010(ULSAM) | Swe | 215/924 | OM | 10·1 | 71* | M | 1. High vegetables and legumes; 2. High cereals and potatoes; 3. High fruit; 4. High fish; 5. High PUFA:SFA; 6. Moderate alcohol; 7. Low meat and meat products; 8. Low milk and milk products | EI, smoking habit, social class, diabetes, MetS, lipid-lowering treatment, BP-lowering treatment, WC, BP, insulin, CRP |
| 88/924 | CVD mortality | |||||||
| Tognon et al.( 8 ), 2011 (GGPSG) | Swe | 622/1037 | OM | 8·5 | >70 | M/F | 1. High legumes and nuts; 2. High wholegrain cereals; 3. High fruit; 4. High vegetables and potatoes; 5. High fish and fish products; 6. High MUFA+PUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat, meat products and eggs; 9. Low dairy products | Sex, BMI, WC, PA, marital status, smoking habit, education |
| Agnoli et al.( 9 ), 2011 (EPICOR Study) | I | 178/40 681 | St | 7·9 | 35–74 | F | 1. High pasta; 2. High vegetables; 3. High fruit; 4. High legumes; 5. High fish; 6. High olive oil; 7. Low potatoes; 8. Low butter; 9. Moderate alcohol; 10. Low red and processed meat; 11. Low soft drinks | Age, sex, smoking habit, education, EI, BMI |
| Buckland et al.( 10 ), 2011 (EPIC-Spain) | S | 1855/40 622 | OM | 13·4 | 29–69 | M/F | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit and nuts; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and poultry; 9. Low dairy products | Age, education, BMI, WC, education, PA, smoking habit, total energy |
| 399/40 622 | CVD mortality | |||||||
| 913/40 622 | C mortality | |||||||
| van den Brandt( 11 ), 2011 (NLCS) Men | N | 6329/58 279 | OM | 4·9 | 55–69 | M | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit and nuts; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and poultry; 9. Low dairy products | Age, smoking habit, cigarettes, years of smoking, BMI, PA, hypertension, education, EI |
| van der Brandt( 11 ), 2011 (NLCS) Women | N | 3362/62 573 | OM | 4·9 | 55–69 | F | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit and nuts; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and poultry; 9. Low dairy products | Age, smoking habit, cigarettes, years of smoking, BMI, PA, hypertension, education, EI |
| Gardener et al.( 12 ), 2011 (NOMAS) | USA | 518/2568 | CVD | 9 | 69 | M/F | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, sex, race, education, PA, EI, smoking habit, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia |
| Couto et al.( 13 ), 2011 (EPIC) | D, F, Ge, G, I, N, No, S, Swe, UK | 30 731/478 478 | C | 8·7 | 25–70 | M/F | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, sex, smoking habit, duration of smoking, education, height, BMI, EI, PA, menopause, HRT |
| McNaughton et al.( 14 ), 2010 (BDNS) | UK | 654/972 | OM | 14 | >65 | M/F | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit and nuts; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, sex, EI, social class, region, smoking habit, PA, BMI |
| Martinez-Gonzalez et al.( 15 ), 2012 (SUN) | S | 125/15 535 | OM | 6·8 | 38 | M/F | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit and nuts; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, sex, years of education, BMI, smoking habit, PA, h/d spent watching TV, depression, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, EI, egg and potatoes |
| Tognon et al.( 16 ), 2012 (VIP) | Swe | 1453/37 546 | OM | 10 | 30–70 | M | 1. High vegetables and potatoes; 2. High fruit and juices; 3. High wholegrain cereals; 4. High fish and fish products; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA+PUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, obesity, PA, smoking habit, education |
| 493/35 950 | C | |||||||
| 499/35 950 | CVD | |||||||
| Tognon et al.( 16 ), 2012 (VIP) | Swe | 923/39 605 | OM | 10 | 30–70 | F | 1. High vegetables and potatoes; 2. High fruit and juices; 3. High wholegrain cereals; 4. High fish and fish products; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA+PUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, obesity, PA, smoking habit, education |
| 481/38 034 | C | |||||||
| 181/38 034 | CVD | |||||||
| Dilis et al.( 17 ), 2012 (Greek-EPIC) Men | G | 150/9740 | CHD mortality | 10 | 25–70 | M | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit and nuts; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, BMI, height, PA, education, smoking habit, hypertension, EI |
| Dilis et al.( 17 ), 2012 (Greek-EPIC) Women | G | 90/14 189 | CHD mortality | 10 | 25–70 | F | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit and nuts; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, BMI, height, PA, education, smoking habit, hypertension, EI |
| Hoevenaar-Blom et al.( 18 ), 2012 (EPIC-NL: MORGEN and PROSPECT) | N | 4881/34 708 | CVD | 12 | 20–70 | M/F | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, sex, cohort, smoking habit, PA, education, EI |
| 448/34 708 | Stroke | |||||||
| Misirli et al. ( 19 ), 2012 (EPIC-Greece) Men | G | 204/9617 | CBVD | 10·6 | 25–70 | M | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, education, smoking habit, BMI, PA, hypertension, diabetes, EI |
| Misirli et al.( 19 ), 2012 (EPIC-Greece) Women | G | 191/13 984 | CBVD | 10·6 | 25–70 | F | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, education, smoking habit, BMI, PA, hypertension, diabetes, EI |
| Bamia et al.( 20 ), 2013 (EPIC) | D, F, Ge, G, I, N, No, S, Swe, UK | 3724/397 641 | Colorectal cancer | 11·6 | 25–70 | M/F | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit and nuts; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Low meat and meat products; 8. Low dairy products | Age, sex, BMI, PA, education, smoking habit, EI |
| Buckland et al.( 21 ), 2013 (EPIC) | D, F, Ge, G, I, N, No, S, Swe, UK | 10 225/335 062 | Breast cancer | 11 | 25–70 | F | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit and nuts; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Low meat and meat products; 8. Low dairy products | Age, BMI, height, education, PA, smoking habit, menopause, age at menopause, oral contraception, age at menarche, age at first pregnancy, HRT, SFA intake, EI |
| Couto et al.( 22 ), 2013 (SWLHC) | Swe | 1278/49 285 | Breast cancer | 16 | 30–49 | F | 1. High legumes; 2. High cereals; 3. High fruit and nuts; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, BMI, height, education, PA, smoking habit, history of breast cancer, age at menarche, EI, beverages, potatoes, sweets, eggs |
| Agnoli et al.( 23 ), 2013 (EPIC) Men | I | 181/14 195 | Colorectal cancer | 11·3 | 25–70 | M | 1. High pasta; 2. High vegetables; 3. High fruit; 4. High legumes; 5. High fish; 6. High olive oil; 7. Low potatoes; 8. Low butter; 9. Moderate alcohol; 10. Low red and processed meat; 11. Low soft drinks | Age, non-alcoholic EI, BMI, smoking habit, education, PA |
| Agnoli et al.( 23 ), 2013 (EPIC) Women | I | 254/31 080 | Colorectal cancer | 11·3 | 25–70 | F | 1. High pasta; 2. High vegetables; 3. High fruit; 4. High legumes; 5. High fish; 6. High olive oil; 7. Low potatoes; 8. Low butter; 9. Moderate alcohol; 10. Low red and processed meat; 11. Low soft drinks | Age, non-alcoholic EI, BMI, smoking habit, education, PA |
| Bosire et al.( 24 ), 2013 (NIH-AARP) | USA | 23 453/293 464 | Prostate cancer | 8·9 | 50–71 | M | 1. High legumes; 2. High wholegrain cereals; 3. High fruit and nuts; 4. High vegetables; 5. High fish; 6. High MUFA:SFA; 7. Moderate alcohol; 8. Low meat and meat products; 9. Low dairy products | Age, ethnicity, education, BMI, smoking habit, PA, family history of prostate cancer, diabetes, EI, history of PSA screening |
ULSAM, Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men; GGPSG, Gerontological and Geriatric Population Studies in Gothenburg; EPICOR Study, Italian Section of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition; EPIC, European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition; NLCS, Netherlands Cohort Study; NOMAS, Northern Manhattan Study; BDNS, British Diet and Nutrition Survey; SUN, Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra; VIP, Västerbotten Intervention Program; SWLHC, Swedish Women's Lifestyle and Health Cohort; NIH-AARP, National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study; Swe, Sweden; I, Italy; S, Spain; N, The Netherlands; D, Denmark; F, France; Ge, Germany; G, Greece; No, Norway; OM, overall mortality; St, stroke; C, cancer; CBVD, cerebrovascular disease; M, males, F, females; EI, energy intake; MetS, metabolic syndrome; BP, blood pressure; WC, waist circumference; CRP, C-reactive protein; PA, physical activity; HRT, hormone replacement therapy; TV, television; PSA, prostate-specific antigen.
*Mean values.