Associations between the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cardiorespiratory fitness with total and central obesity in preschool children: the PREFIT project.

PURPOSE: Early recognition of risk factors associated with overweight/obesity is an important step towards preventing long-term health consequences. The aim of the current study was to examine the associations of the adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with adiposity in preschool children from the north of Spain.

METHODS: The adherence to the MDP (KIDMED), CRF (20-m shuttle run test), total (BMI) and central (waist circumference) adiposity and socio-demographic factors were assessed in 619 children (48.6% girls) who were on average 4.7 years old.

RESULTS: Higher MDP index (P < 0.05) and CRF levels (P < 0.01) were significantly related to lower waist circumference. CRF was inversely associated with BMI (P ≤ 0.001), yet no significant association was observed between MDP and BMI. Children not having high CRF levels and high MDP (i.e., non-upper sex-specific tertile of CRF or MDP, respectively) had the highest waist circumference.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support that higher adherence to the MDP and higher CRF are associated with lower waist circumference in preschool children, pointing them as relevant modifiable factors to be targeted by educational strategies aiming to prevent central obesity and later obesity-related comorbidities.