Mediterranean Diet and Quality of Life

Abstract

© 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.From a public health perspective, the aging process affecting developed countries has made determinants increasing individuals' quality of life and population health status a priority in research. Health status measurement is related to welfare self-perception in the frame of a social and cultural context. Traditionally used as an outcome for several interventions aimed at diseased populations, it recently has been commonly applied to healthy populations to ascertain its influencing factors. The Mediterranean diet is regarded as a healthy food pattern and a cultural model promoting a higher level of health. Its preventive effect on chronic disease incidence is broadly accepted. There is, however, a lack of evidence concerning the relationship between this food pattern and self-reported health. Herein this association is discussed.