Abstract

Author(s): María Teresa MARCO GARCÍA, María de la Trinidad RUFINO DELGADO, María Berta ANTA AGUDO, Carlos Enrique MARTÍNEZ ALBERTO

Introduction: There are multiple health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. There are few studies that have evaluated its adherence in health professionals.

Objectives: To assess the adherence to the Mediterranean diet in tutors and residents of a Multiprofessional Teaching Unit for Family and Community Care and its association with age, gender, the condition of tutor or resident, their profession and the country of origin.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was designed. The study population were tutors and residents of Family and Community Medicine and Nursing of the Multiprofessional Teaching Unit of Family and Community Attention of Tenerife zone I. Taking advantage of a training meeting, they completed a questionnaire that contained the following variables: adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MEDAS-14 questionnaire, of 14 items; high adherence: ≥9 points, low adherence: <9 points), age, gender, being a tutor or resident, profession ( doctor or nurse) and country of origin.

Results: 136 health professionals participated, 76 of them tutors (56 from Family Medicine and 20 from Family Nursing) and 60 residents (55 from Family Medicine and 5 from Family Nursing). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was high in 96 healthcare professionals (70.6%), and low in 40 (29.4%). The mean adherence was 9.46 (SD: 1.92). No statistically significant differences were observed between this and the rest of the study variables. Differences were detected in the adherence of the following items of the questionnaire in tutors and residents: consumption of two or more tablespoons of olive oil per day, whose compliance frequency was 73.7% in tutors and 53.3% in residents (p = 0.014), consumption of three or more servings per week of fish and shellfish, which compliance was affirmed by 40.8% of the tutors and by 21.7% of the residents (p = 0.018 ) and preferential consumption of white meat, whose adherence was higher in residents (tutors: 84.2; residents: 98.3%; p = 0.005).

Conclusions: Despite the fact that the tutors and residents of Family Medicine and Family Nursing of this Teaching Unit have a high degree of adherence to DM, the consumption of fish or shellfish, legumes and fruit in these professionals can be improved.