Analysis of dietary habits in Latvian general population in respect to adherence to Medīterranean diet

To evaluate adherence to the MD in average 40-64 year old Jekabpils population and to analyse socioeconomic factors that are associated with adherence to diet. The study was carried out as a sub-study of the “Multicentric randomised study of H.pylori eradication and pepsinogen testing for prevention of gastric cancer mortality (the GISTAR study)”. Participants aged 40-64 years were enrolled (October,2019 - November,2020) in the study centre in Jekabpils. Participants completed a 14 item self-administered MD diet score questionnaire; one score point was assigned for each match. Adherence to MD was evaluated as low (score 0-5), medium (score 6-9) or high (score 10-14). Socioeconomic data were collected within the GISTAR study protocol. In total, 963 participants completed the questionnaire, the final sample - 938 individuals, out of them - 283(30%) men. Adherence to MD was evaluated as low in 671(69.7%), medium - 297(29.0%) and high - in 13(1.30%) cases. There was a significant difference in adherence between genders: low adherence was reported in 63.20% and 85,20%; medium - in 34.90% and 14.80%; high - in 1.90% and 0.00% of females and males, respectively (p<0.001; χ2 test). No difference in adherence was noted for age and employment, while participants with higher education level showed trend to higher scores for adherence to MD. The adherence to MD in Jekabpils general population is low with higher adherence in women and no association with age or employment.