Effects of the Mediterranean Lifestyle During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Spain: Preliminary Study

We aim to assess the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean style-diet before and after the period of confinement due to COVID-19 in a sample of 51 older patients who were part of a clinical trial of the Instituto de Investigacion sanitaria y Biomedica de Alicante (ISABIAL, CEIM). Participants were randomly assigned to two conditions: experimental vs. a control group. A pre-test survey assessment was conducted before confinement, while a post-test survey was conducted after the confinement period. Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and nutritional status were evaluated through self-reported questionnaires. Individuals who initiated the Mediterranean Diet intervention program before confinement increased 3.5% their level of adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and maintained their nutritional status after the confinement. In the case of BMI, there no were statistically significant differences between groups before and after confinement. These results suggest that adherence to the Mediterranean Diet may play an important role in the establishment of appropriate dietary guidelines in confinement situations such as the COVID-19.

Automated summary

The study aimed to assess the effects of Mediterranean style-diet before and after COVID-19 confinement on older patients. Participants who adhered to the Mediterranean Diet intervention program before confinement showed improved adherence and maintained nutritional status post-confinement. Although there were no statistically significant differences in BMI between groups before and after confinement, adherence to the Mediterranean Diet may be important in establishing dietary guidelines during confinement situations like COVID-19.