Healthy Lifestyle: Relationship between Mediterranean Diet, Body Composition and Physical Fitness in 13 to 16-Years Old Icelandic Students

Pablo Galan-Lopez, Francis Ries, Thordis Gisladottir, Raúl Domínguez and Antonio J. Sánchez-Oliver
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Pablo Galan-Lopez: Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Seville, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
Francis Ries: Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Seville, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
Thordis Gisladottir: Research Center for Sport and Health Sciences, School of Education, University of Iceland, 105 Reykjavík, Iceland
Raúl Domínguez: Faculty of Health Sciences of Universidad Isabel I, Universidad Isabel I, 09004 Burgos, Spain
Antonio J. Sánchez-Oliver: Faculty of Sports Sciences of Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: Childhood and adolescent obesity are currently among the greatest challenges for public health. Physical activity, physical fitness, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), representing powerful indicators of healthy lifestyles, are shown as determinant factors in the prevention and treatment of obesity. The aim of the present study has been to analyse the relationship between health-related physical fitness components, body composition, and adherence to MD in 387 Icelandic adolescents of 13–16-years old (54% boys). The ALPHA Fitness Test was used to measure physical fitness and body composition. The KIDMED questionnaire was used to assess the adherence to MD among participants. Associations between variables were tested according to gender and age using linear regression models and analysis of variance. Participants with high/medium adherence to MD showed significantly higher endurance scores in both the boys and the girls. Gender differences were found. The boys in high/medium MD categories had significantly lower fat percentages and ran a 4 × 10 m sprint faster than the girls. The girls scored higher than the boys in endurance and speed-agility tests. It can be concluded that a high and medium adherence to MD is associated with high and very high endurance in both the girls and the boys.

Keywords: adolescents; physical fitness; Mediterranean diet; body composition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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