Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Youths Living in Rural and Semi-Urban Albania in the Ongoing Nutrition Transition: Preliminary Results
Background: Albania is undergoing a demographic, epidemiological, and nutrition transition leading to an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among new generations. Comprehensive studies on the nutritional status and dietary patterns of youths in the country are still lacking. Methods: A c...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| author | Ruden Cakoni Stefania Moramarco Argjend Kosiqi Angela Andreoli Ersilia Buonomo |
| author_facet | Ruden Cakoni Stefania Moramarco Argjend Kosiqi Angela Andreoli Ersilia Buonomo |
| author_sort | Ruden Cakoni |
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| description | Background: Albania is undergoing a demographic, epidemiological, and nutrition transition leading to an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among new generations. Comprehensive studies on the nutritional status and dietary patterns of youths in the country are still lacking. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of students (10–18 years) attending secondary schools in rural and semi-urban areas (October–November 2024). Information collected included socio-demographic data, anthropometric measurements (weight, height), and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) (KIDMED). Factors influencing dietary patterns were investigated, with a multivariate logistic regression performed to identify key drivers for poor MD adherence (AOR 95% CI). Results: In total, 426 children (47.2% females) were interviewed. Over 20% of the sample was overweight or obese, with the prevalence of these diseases decreasing with age regardless of gender. The KIDMED score highlighted suboptimal MD adherence (4.6 ± 2.5 SD), with significant differences between females and males (4.1 ± 2.4 SD vs. 5.1 ± 2.4 SD, <i>p</i> < 0.001), especially in rural areas (3.9 ± 2.4 SD vs. 4.9 ± 2.5 SD, <i>p</i> = 0.003). Dietary quality tended to decline with age. Female gender was the strongest predictor of poor MD adherence (AOR 2.08 CI: 1.34–3.22; <i>p</i> = 0.001). Conclusions: The MD is a cornerstone for ensuring the Albanian population’s long-term health and well-being. This study holds significant public health relevance in a country with high mortality rates due to cardiovascular diseases. Future nutrition interventions focused on the poor MD adherence of new generations should take into consideration geographic, cultural, and social dimensions, including gender equality. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-371b729235c8456384e16a3c7edeb1d7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj-art-371b729235c8456384e16a3c7edeb1d72025-01-24T13:27:18ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672025-01-011219810.3390/children12010098Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Youths Living in Rural and Semi-Urban Albania in the Ongoing Nutrition Transition: Preliminary ResultsRuden Cakoni0Stefania Moramarco1Argjend Kosiqi2Angela Andreoli3Ersilia Buonomo4Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Our Lady of Good Counsel, 1026 Tirana, AlbaniaDepartment of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, ItalyFaculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Our Lady of Good Counsel, 1026 Tirana, AlbaniaFaculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Our Lady of Good Counsel, 1026 Tirana, AlbaniaFaculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Our Lady of Good Counsel, 1026 Tirana, AlbaniaBackground: Albania is undergoing a demographic, epidemiological, and nutrition transition leading to an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among new generations. Comprehensive studies on the nutritional status and dietary patterns of youths in the country are still lacking. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of students (10–18 years) attending secondary schools in rural and semi-urban areas (October–November 2024). Information collected included socio-demographic data, anthropometric measurements (weight, height), and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) (KIDMED). Factors influencing dietary patterns were investigated, with a multivariate logistic regression performed to identify key drivers for poor MD adherence (AOR 95% CI). Results: In total, 426 children (47.2% females) were interviewed. Over 20% of the sample was overweight or obese, with the prevalence of these diseases decreasing with age regardless of gender. The KIDMED score highlighted suboptimal MD adherence (4.6 ± 2.5 SD), with significant differences between females and males (4.1 ± 2.4 SD vs. 5.1 ± 2.4 SD, <i>p</i> < 0.001), especially in rural areas (3.9 ± 2.4 SD vs. 4.9 ± 2.5 SD, <i>p</i> = 0.003). Dietary quality tended to decline with age. Female gender was the strongest predictor of poor MD adherence (AOR 2.08 CI: 1.34–3.22; <i>p</i> = 0.001). Conclusions: The MD is a cornerstone for ensuring the Albanian population’s long-term health and well-being. This study holds significant public health relevance in a country with high mortality rates due to cardiovascular diseases. Future nutrition interventions focused on the poor MD adherence of new generations should take into consideration geographic, cultural, and social dimensions, including gender equality.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/1/98school-aged childrenoverweightobesitydietary habitsmediterranean dietyouth nutrition |
| spellingShingle | Ruden Cakoni Stefania Moramarco Argjend Kosiqi Angela Andreoli Ersilia Buonomo Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Youths Living in Rural and Semi-Urban Albania in the Ongoing Nutrition Transition: Preliminary Results Children school-aged children overweight obesity dietary habits mediterranean diet youth nutrition |
| title | Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Youths Living in Rural and Semi-Urban Albania in the Ongoing Nutrition Transition: Preliminary Results |
| title_full | Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Youths Living in Rural and Semi-Urban Albania in the Ongoing Nutrition Transition: Preliminary Results |
| title_fullStr | Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Youths Living in Rural and Semi-Urban Albania in the Ongoing Nutrition Transition: Preliminary Results |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Youths Living in Rural and Semi-Urban Albania in the Ongoing Nutrition Transition: Preliminary Results |
| title_short | Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Youths Living in Rural and Semi-Urban Albania in the Ongoing Nutrition Transition: Preliminary Results |
| title_sort | dietary habits and nutritional status of youths living in rural and semi urban albania in the ongoing nutrition transition preliminary results |
| topic | school-aged children overweight obesity dietary habits mediterranean diet youth nutrition |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/1/98 |
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