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Are the advantages of the Mediterranean diet transferable to other populations? A cohort study in Melbourne, Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Antigone Kouris-Blazos ,
Charalambos Gnardellis ,
Mark L. Wahlqvist ,
Dimitrios Trichopoulos ,
Widjaja Lukito  and
Antonia Trichopoulou
Antigone Kouris-Blazos
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Monash Medical Center, Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria 3168, Australia
Charalambos Gnardellis
Affiliation:
National Centre for Nutrition, National School of Public Health, Leoforos Alexandras 196, Athens 115–21, Greece
Mark L. Wahlqvist
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Monash Medical Center, Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria 3168, Australia
Dimitrios Trichopoulos
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Widjaja Lukito
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Monash Medical Center, Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria 3168, Australia
Antonia Trichopoulou*
Affiliation:
National Centre for Nutrition, National School of Public Health, Leoforos Alexandras 196, Athens 115–21, Greece
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Antonia Trichopoulou, fax +30 1 748 8902, email antonia@nut.uoa.gr
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Abstract

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A prospective cohort study, involving 141 Anglo-Celts and 189 Greek-Australians of both sexes aged 70 years or more, was undertaken in Melbourne, Australia. The objective was to evaluate whether adherence to the principles of the Mediterranean diet affects survival of elderly people in developed non-Mediterranean countries. Diet was assessed using an extensive validated questionnaire on food intake. A one unit increase in a diet score, devised a priori on the basis of eight key features of the traditional common diet in the Mediterranean region, was associated with a 17 % reduction in overall mortality (two-tailed P value 0·07). Mortality reduction with increasing diet score was at least as evident among Anglo-Celts as among Greek-Australians. We conclude that a diet that adheres to the principles of the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with longer survival among Australians of either Greek or Anglo-Celtic origin.

Keywords

Mediterranean dietCohort studyElderly

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 82 , Issue 1 , July 1999 , pp. 57 - 61
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1999

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