IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i3p1282-d490598.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Economic Cost of Diet and Its Association with Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in a Cohort of Spanish Primary Schoolchildren

Author

Listed:
  • Rosario Pastor

    (Research Group on Community Nutrition and Oxidative Stress, IUNICS, University of the Balearic Islands, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
    Faculty of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Avila, 05005 Avila, Spain)

  • Noemi Pinilla

    (Faculty of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Avila, 05005 Avila, Spain)

  • Josep A. Tur

    (Research Group on Community Nutrition and Oxidative Stress, IUNICS, University of the Balearic Islands, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
    CIBEROBN (Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
    Foundation Health Research Institute Balearic Islands (IDISBA), E-07120 Palma de Mallorca, Spain)

Abstract

Background : Adoption of a certain dietary pattern is determined by different factors such as taste, cost, convenience, and nutritional value of food. Objective : To assess the association between the daily cost of a diet and its overall quality in a cohort of 6–12-year-old Spanish schoolchildren. Methods : A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a cohort ( n = 130; 47% female) of 6–12-year-old children schooled in primary education in the central region of Spain. Three-day 24 h records were administered, and the nutritional quality of the diet was also determined by means of Mediterranean Adequacy Index (MAI). A questionnaire on sociodemographic data, frequency of eating in fast-food restaurants, and supplement intake were also recorded. The person responsible for the child’s diet and the schooler himself completed the questionnaires, and homemade measures were used to estimate the size of the portions. Food prices were obtained from the Household Consumption Database of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The economic cost of the diet was calculated by multiplying the amount in grams of the food consumed by each child by the corresponding price in grams and adding up the total amount for each participant. The total economic cost of the diet was calculated in €/day and in €/1000 kcal/day. Results : The area under the curve (AUC) for €/day and €/1000 kcal/day represent 62.6% and 65.6%, respectively. According to AUC values, adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD) is a moderate predictor of the monetary cost of the diet. A direct relationship between the cost of the diet and the adherence to MD was observed [OR (€/1000 kcal/day) = 3.012; CI (95%): 1.291; 7.026; p = 0.011]. Conclusions : In a cohort of Spanish schoolchildren with low adherence to the MD, a higher cost of the diet standardized to 1000 kcal was associated with above-average MAI values.

Suggested Citation

  • Rosario Pastor & Noemi Pinilla & Josep A. Tur, 2021. "The Economic Cost of Diet and Its Association with Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in a Cohort of Spanish Primary Schoolchildren," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-10, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:3:p:1282-:d:490598
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/1282/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/1282/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. O'Neil, A. & Quirk, S.E. & Housden, S. & Brennan, S.L. & Williams, L.J. & Pasco, J.A. & Berk, M. & Jacka, F.N., 2014. "Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents: A systematic review," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(10), pages 31-42.
    2. Ashkan Afshin & José L Peñalvo & Liana Del Gobbo & Jose Silva & Melody Michaelson & Martin O'Flaherty & Simon Capewell & Donna Spiegelman & Goodarz Danaei & Dariush Mozaffarian, 2017. "The prospective impact of food pricing on improving dietary consumption: A systematic review and meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(3), pages 1-18, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Birgit Kopainsky & Anita Frehner & Adrian Müller, 2020. "Sustainable and healthy diets: Synergies and trade‐offs in Switzerland," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(6), pages 908-927, November.
    2. Beulah Pretorius & Jane Ambuko & Effie Papargyropoulou & Hettie C. Schönfeldt, 2021. "Guiding Nutritious Food Choices and Diets along Food Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-19, August.
    3. Javier Sevil-Serrano & Alberto Aibar-Solana & Ángel Abós & José Antonio Julián & Luis García-González, 2019. "Healthy or Unhealthy? The Cocktail of Health-Related Behavior Profiles in Spanish Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-14, August.
    4. Friederike Elsner & Lea Ellen Matthiessen & Dominika Średnicka-Tober & Wolfgang Marx & Adrienne O’Neil & Ailsa A. Welch & Richard Peter Hayhoe & Suzanne Higgs & Marja van Vliet & Ephimia Morphew-Lu & , 2022. "Identifying Future Study Designs for Mental Health and Social Wellbeing Associated with Diets of a Cohort Living in Eco-Regions: Findings from the INSUM Expert Workshop," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-20, December.
    5. Rachael Sinclair & Lynne Millar & Steven Allender & Wendy Snowdon & Gade Waqa & Felice Jacka & Marj Moodie & Solveig Petersen & Boyd Swinburn, 2016. "The Cross-Sectional Association between Diet Quality and Depressive Symptomology amongst Fijian Adolescents," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(8), pages 1-12, August.
    6. Svein Barene & Andreas Ruud-Tronsmoen & Patrick Foss Johansen, 2022. "Associations between Demographic Characteristics, Lifestyle Factors and School-Related Conditions and Symptoms of Mental Health Problems in Norwegian Upper Secondary School Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-12, August.
    7. Nguyen, Ly & Wilson, Norbert L.W., 2017. "Healthy Foods: Tax or Voucher?," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258491, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Chloe C. Dedryver & Cécile Knai, 2021. "‘It’s Easily the Lowest I’ve Ever, Ever Got to’: A Qualitative Study of Young Adults’ Social Isolation during the COVID-19 Lockdowns in the UK," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-11, November.
    9. Saha, Sanjib & Nordström, Jonas & Scarborough, Peter & Thunström, Linda & Gerdtham, Ulf-G., 2021. "In search of an appropriate mix of taxes and subsidies on nutrients and food: A modelling study of the effectiveness on health-related consumption and mortality," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    10. Ruben Sanchez-Sabate & Esteban Zunino & Yasna Badilla-Briones & Natalia Celedon Celis & Daniel Caro Saldías, 2021. "Chilean Digital Press Coverage of the Relation between Diet and Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-18, February.
    11. Chen, Qihui, 2021. "Population policy, family size and child malnutrition in Vietnam – Testing the trade-off between child quantity and quality from a child nutrition perspective," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    12. Pasquale E. Rummo & Isabella Higgins & Christina Chauvenet & Annamaria Vesely & Lindsay M. Jaacks & Lindsey Taillie, 2021. "A Standardized Guide to Developing an Online Grocery Store for Testing Nutrition-Related Policies and Interventions in an Online Setting," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-11, April.
    13. Heng Yaw Yong & Zalilah Mohd Shariff & Barakatun Nisak Mohd Yusof & Zulida Rejali & Yvonne Yee Siang Tee & Jacques Bindels & Eline M. van der Beek, 2019. "Pre-Pregnancy BMI Influences the Association of Dietary Quality and Gestational Weight Gain: The SECOST Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-12, October.
    14. Cheuk-yeung Ho & Albert Lee, 2022. "Cultivating a Healthy Living Environment for Adolescents in the Post-COVID Era in Hong Kong: Exploring Youth Health Needs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-14, June.
    15. Paarlberg, Robert & Mozaffarian, Dariush & Micha, Renata, 2017. "Viewpoint: Can U.S. local soda taxes continue to spread?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 1-7.
    16. Diana Kmeťková & Iva Zvěřinová & Milan Ščasný & Vojtěch Máca, 2025. "Acceptability of meat tax and subsidy removal by meat eaters: insights from five European countries," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 13(1), pages 1-24, December.
    17. Joyce Slater & Bhanu Pilli & Aynslie Hinds & Alan Katz & Marcelo L. Urquia & Julianne Sanguins & Chris Green & Jaime Cidro & Dan Chateau & Nathan Nickel, 2023. "Food Behaviours and Health Indicators in Manitoba Adolescents and Relation to the Healthy Eating Index," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-13, January.
    18. Laura Cornelsen & Matthew Quaife & Mylene Lagarde & Richard D. Smith, 2020. "Framing and signalling effects of taxes on sugary drinks: A discrete choice experiment among households in Great Britain," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(10), pages 1132-1147, October.
    19. Albert Lee & Vera M. W. Keung & Vincent T. C. Lau & Calvin K. M. Cheung & Amelia S. C. Lo, 2021. "Impact of COVID-19 on Life of Students: Case Study in Hong Kong," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-16, October.
    20. Boysen, Ole & Bradford, Harvey & Boysen-Urban, Kirsten & Balie, Jean, 2018. "Taxing Highly Processed Foods: Impacts On Obesity And Underweight In Sub-Saharan Africa," 58th Annual Conference, Kiel, Germany, September 12-14, 2018 275849, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:3:p:1282-:d:490598. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.