Effectiveness of an Intervention Programme on Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in a Preschool Child: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Urban Farm DB summary

In a randomised, parallel-group controlled trial of children aged 3–5, this study evaluated the medium-term effect of an intervention programme on adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The experimental group took part in a school garden, while the control group received the usual lessons on the human body and health; adherence was assessed with the KIDMED questionnaire, controlling for weight, height, BMI, and socio-demographic variables. BMI was reduced in the experimental group after one year and at the end of follow-up. For the overall KIDMED score, a statistical trend between the two groups was observed but did not reach significance (p = 0.076). In multivariate analysis, eating pulses more than once a week predicted improved diet quality, with an odds ratio of 1.382 in the experimental group (95% CI 1.126–1.695; p = 0.009). The study concludes that the intervention improved participants' diet quality via increased consumption of plant-based protein.