Evaluating the influence of Mediterranean diet adherence on body image among team sport athletes

Purpose: Considering the well-documented benefits of balanced nutrition on athletic performance, well-being and physical appearance, this study aimed to evaluate the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) among team sport athletes (TSA) and explore its influence on body image. Methods: 40 young TSA (age: 23.4 ± 3.8yrs), were administered the 14-item PREDIMED questionnaire to analyze their adherence to the MD. Based on their total score, the TSA were categorized into LOW (B 5AU), AVERAGE (6–9AU) and HIGH (C 10AU) adherence to the MD. To evaluate individual body image, the groups completed the Body Image Dimensional Assessment questionnaire, consisting of 4 items that use a numeric scale alongside four silhouettes to quantify degrees of Body Dissatisfaction (BD), Sexual Body Dissatisfaction (SxBD), Comparative Body Dissatisfaction (CBD). The Body Dissatisfaction Index (BDI) was calculated as the mean of the absolute values of BD, SxBD and CBD, ranging from 0 to 100%, with scores[30% indicating a risk of body image disorders. Frequency table was used to explore the distribution (%) of adherence to the MD among TSA. One- way ANOVA was applied to assess differences (p\0.05) in BDI across MD adherence (LOW, AVERAGE, HIGH) groups. Results: The majority of TSA achieved an average adherence to the MD (70%), while a smaller proportion reported either high (17.5%) or low (12.5%) adherence. Despite the varying levels of adherence, no significant differences (p = 0.35) in BDI were observed among the groups (LOW: 5.8 ± 3%; AVERAGE: 11.2 ± 8.2%; HIGH: 10.2 ± 6.6%). Conclusions: Given the low percentage of TSA demonstrating high adherence to MD, findings highlight the need to enhance nutritional education strategies to promote benefits of MD. Results indicate that athletes may possess partial knowledge or apply MD principles inconsistently, suggesting they recognize some benefits although not fully adhere to the diet. While a risk of body image disorders was not shown in TSA (BDI\30%), the lack of significant differences in BDI among groups could suggest that adherence to MD does not significantly influence perceptions of body image among TSA. However, findings may be influenced by the high concentration of TSA within the AVERAGE adherence group, potentially hiding the MD impacts on body image. Future studies should investigate the influence of the MD on body image using a more evenly distributed sample to clarify these effects.