Adherence to the Mediterranean diet in two Moroccan populations living at different distances from the Mediterranean Sea.

Background: There is growing strong scientific evidence over the past few decades that the Mediterranean diet (MD) has protective effects on cardiometabolic health. Objective: This study aimed to assess MD adherence and its association with sociodemographic and lifestyle factors among women living in two Moroccan provinces, El Jadida and Tetouan, located at different distances from the Mediterranean Sea. Material and methods: It is a cross-sectional study involved 355 subjects of which 55.8% reside in the province of El Jadida, and data on socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle, cardiovascular risks, medical history and of food frequency consumption were collected. Compliance with the MD was assessed with a simplified MD adherence score based on the weekly frequency of consumption of eight food groups. Results: The overall mean Simplified Mediterranean Diet Score was 4.37 ± 1.47 with inadequate compliance in 55.2% of the sample. No significant association was found between adherence to MD and geographic, socio-demographic, lifestyle or the major cardiovascular risk factors. However, the participants do not comply with half of the recommendations based on the Mediterranean diet pyramid. The lowest level of compliance was observed for olive oil, followed by sweets, eggs, potatoes, fruits, red meat, vegetables, legumes, olives, nuts and seeds. The increased contribution of sugars, dairy products and meat to the overall food intake is significant in the category with high adherence to MD. Conclusion: The study data indicate that Mediterranean Diet is far from being a global pattern in this Moroccan population. The study draws attention to the need for a promoting intervention to maintain this pattern as the original diet in the region.

Factors influencing cooking method, frequency, and duration of meal preparation in Moroccan households.

Background: The construction of the consumer's identity is dependent on how they prepare their meals. Objective: Study the cooking methods, frequency, and duration of meal preparation in Moroccan households as well as the associated factors. Materials and methods: This work is a part of a study with a validated conceptual and methodological framework that was conducted in 507 households in the region of Rabat-Salé-Kenitra in Morocco. The characteristics of the population and data on the cooking methods, frequency, and duration of meal preparation were collected by a survey. Associations between variables were studied by univariate logistic regression with a significance level of p<0.05. Results: The majority of the population was aged between 35 and 65 years (76%) and lived in urban areas (70%). The univariate analysis showed that the urban area was a factor that hindered stewing (p=0.009), while the work status (p=0.04) and the marital status "Married" (p=0.04) were favorable factors; the household size (p=0.02) is a factor favoring steaming method; urban area (p=0.04), work status (p 0.03), nuclear family type (p<0.001), and household size (p=0.02) are factors hindering the use of oven cooking; urban area (p=0.02) and higher education level (p=0.04) are factors favoring the use of fried food, age category [20-34] years (p=0.04), higher education level (p=0.01) and work status (p=0.01) were factors that favored the use of grilling; nuclear family type, (p=0.04) and household size (p=0.03) were factors that hindered the preparation of breakfast; urban area (p=0.03) and Arab ethnicity (p=0.04) are factors hindering snack preparation; urban area (p<0.001) is a factor favoring dinner preparation; household size (p=0.01) and use of stewing at least four times a week (p=0.002) are factors hindering meal preparation time, while use of baking (p=0.01) is a favoring factor. Conclusion: The study results point towards the implementation of a nutritional education strategy based on combining habits, preferences, and good cooking practices.

Food purchasing habits at traditional and modern markets and consumption of natural and processed foods in Moroccan households.

Background: The locations of food purchase have an impact on the quality of food consumed. Objective: To examine food purchasing habits at traditional and modern markets, their associated factors, and their effects on consuming natural and processed foods. Material and methods: This work used a validated conceptual and methodological framework of a study conducted among 507 households in the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region in Morocco. Data on sociodemographic and economic characteristics and the frequency of food purchasing were collected from household representatives through a population survey. The food frequency questionnaire was used to collect frequency of consumption of 20 foods, including 10 natural and 10 processed. The associations between the variables were studied by the Chi-square test with a level of significance of p <0.05. Results: Among the households 70% were urban, 62% have nuclear families, 51.5% a size of 5 to 12 members, 41% middle standard of living, 87% frequented markets and souks (MS), and 19% frequented large and medium-sized stores (LMS) at least once a week. The households have in majority a frequency of natural foods consumption ≥ 3 times/week, including fresh vegetables (91%), olive oil (85%), and fresh fruit (84%); and processed foods, such as refined flours (68%), industrial cheese (65%) and industrial yoghurt (52%). MS and LMS frequentation were associated with environment (p<0.001), family type (p=0.01 and p=0.002, respectively), household size (p=0.04 and p=0.002 respectively) and standard of living (p<0.001). Foods whose consumption was associated with both MS and LMS frequentation included fresh vegetables (p<0.001) as natural foods and baked goods as processed foods (respectively, p=0.01 and p=0.04). Conclusion: The results of this study argue for implementing a nutrition education strategy based on the choice of food purchase locations as well as the consumption of natural or processed foods as part of a sustainable Mediterranean diet.

Validation of conceptual and methodological framework for the study of dietary practices and nutritional status of an adult population.

Background: The use of validated and reliable methods and instruments is necessary to study dietary practices and nutritional status due to their direct impacts on population health. Objective: The aim is the validity and reliability of the conceptual and methodological framework of research on factors associated with dietary practices and nutritional status (FADPNS), carried out on adult population of the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region in Morocco. Material and methods: First, we developed a conceptual and methodological framework for research on FADPNS, which aimed to study dietary practices, nutritional status, and the factors associated with them in an adult Moroccan population. Then, we studied the validity and reliability of this framework in three phases. Phase 1 focused on the validation of the content of the conceptual and methodological framework, Phase 2 focused on the study by an expert committee of the internal consistency validity (ICV) of the questionnaires used in this research , and Phase 3 consisted of the study of the reliability of the items questionnaires by the test of Cronbach Alpha. Results: Thus, the validated content of the conceptual framework of research on FADPNS includes socio-demographic, socio-economic, and socio-cultural characteristics; health status; physical activity, places of food purchase; food preparation, taking of meals, family commensality; social representations of good dietary practices; food consumption; and nutritional status. The questionnaires used in this research received an ICV score of 85%. The reliability test of the questionnaires showed a Cronbach Alpha value ≥ 0.5, which turned out to vary from "moderate" to "excellent". Conclusion: This work enabled the validation of the conceptual framework and the methodology of the study of the factors associated with dietary practices and nutritional status in the RSK region.

Corrigendum to "Food Expenditure and Food Consumption before and during Ramadan in Moroccan Households".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2020/8849832.].

Food Expenditure and Food Consumption before and during Ramadan in Moroccan Households.

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is a religious, cultural, and social ritual for Muslims. The benefits it is supposed to provide to people who practice it are often impaired by unhealthy lifestyles including diet. The present research aimed to study risky eating behaviors and the variation in food expenditure of the Moroccan population during Ramadan. This study was conducted in 2018 in 340 households in urban and rural localities in the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region of Morocco. Information on eating habits was collected by a nutritional survey using the method of dietary history; household food expenditure and sociodemographic characteristics were collected by a questionnaire. The average age of the population is 40 ± 14 years; the majority (40%) has a middle standard of living, and the average food expenditure increased by 50% during Ramadan. The food survey showed a significant increase in energy intake (p < 0.001), carbohydrate intake (p < 0.001), sucrose intake (p=0.02), sodium intake (p < 0.001), and calcium intake (p < 0.001) and a significant decrease in protein intake (p < 0.001) and lipid intake (p < 0.001), with no significant change in saturated fatty acid intake (p=0.86) during Ramadan. These results show that some dietary behaviors adopted during Ramadan could promote the development or worsening of overweight and chronic diseases. These data reveal the importance of nutritional education adapted to this sacred month.