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The influence of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on academic performance is mediated by sleep quality in adolescents
In this study by Adelantado-Renau et al. (2018), the authors investigated the links between fidelity to the Mediterranean diet and academic performance, and if sleep played a role in influencing these links, in a sample of 269 adolescents (52% boys, 13.9 ± 0.3 years of age), extrapolated from the Deporte, ADOlescencia y Salud study of 38 secondary schools and sport clubs (Castellon, Spain. February-May 2015). Mediterranean diet fidelity was evaluated using the KIDMED questionnaire, while the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index test and a wrist-worn accelerometer were used to evaluate sleep quality and duration. Finally, academic performance was evaluated using reported final school grades, in addition to a validated test. The results demonstrated a significant relationship between Mediterranean diet fidelity and achieving higher results in core subjects, language, verbal ability, and overall grade point average. Similarly, sleep quality was found to be a substantial mediator in the relationship between Mediterranean diet fidelity and the final grades of core subjects, maths, language, and overall grade point average. The authors conclude that their study demonstrates the effect of the Mediterranean diet on academic performance is facilitated through the quality of sleep in adolescents, and that public health and education professionals must collaborate to enhance the academic performance and the health status of adolescent students. [NPID: Mediterranean diet, sleep quality, sleep duration, adolescents, school, academic performance]
Year: 2019
