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primary topic: Loneliness, Aloneness, and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Southern Italian Individuals

Loneliness, Aloneness, and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Southern Italian Individuals
type: AcademicArticle
type: Article
abstract: Background/Objectives: Research across multiple disciplines has explored how nutrition is shaped by social isolation and feelings of loneliness, especially in the elderly population. Evidence from neuroscience highlights that loneliness may alter eating patterns, encouraging emotional eating or other compensatory food behaviors. Conversely, isolation from social contexts is often linked to a reduced variety of nutrient intake. This study set out to examine how psychosocial aspects, particularly social connectedness and feeling alone, relate to adherence to the Mediterranean diet among older adults residing in Sicily, southern Italy. Methods: Dietary habits of 883 adults were collected through food frequency questionnaires and assessed for adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Loneliness was measured through a targeted question from a standardized tool designed to capture depressive symptoms. Direct questions asked whether participants were engaged in social networks, such as family, friends and neighborhoods, or religious communities, in order to assess objective aloneness. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess associations between variables of interest. Results: After accounting for potential confounders, both loneliness and aloneness showed an association with stronger adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Specifically, individuals experiencing loneliness and aloneness were less likely to have high adherence to the Mediterranean diet (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.51, and OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.54, respectively). Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of fostering social engagement among older populations, who may particularly benefit from maintaining active social ties to support healthier eating behaviors.
date: 2026
volume: 18
issue: 3
is part of: Nutrients
status: peerReviewed
status: published
author list: authors
type: EPrint
type: ArticleEPrint
is part of: repository
has document: Loneliness, Aloneness, and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Southern Italian Individuals (Texto)
subject: Nutrition

Loneliness, Aloneness, and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Southern Italian Individuals (Texto)
type: Document
has file: nutrients-18-00387.pdf
has part: nutrients-18-00387.pdf

Nutrients
type: Collection
issn: 20726643

Fabio Galvano
type: Person
given name: Fabio
family name: Galvano

Rosa M. G. Balzano
type: Person
given name: Rosa M. G.
family name: Balzano

Giuseppe Caruso
type: Person
given name: Giuseppe
family name: Caruso

Francesca Giampieri
type: Person
given name: Francesca
family name: Giampieri

Sabrina Castellano
type: Person
given name: Sabrina
family name: Castellano

Alice Leonardi
type: Person
given name: Alice
family name: Leonardi

Raynier Zambrano-Villacres
type: Person
given name: Raynier
family name: Zambrano-Villacres

Giuseppe Grosso
type: Person
given name: Giuseppe
family name: Grosso

Marco Antonio Olvera-Moreira
type: Person
given name: Marco Antonio
family name: Olvera-Moreira

Melannie Toral-Noristz
type: Person
given name: Melannie
family name: Toral-Noristz

Kilian Tutusaus
type: Person
given name: Kilian
family name: Tutusaus

Justyna Godos
type: Person
given name: Justyna
family name: Godos

HTML Summary of #26914 Loneliness, Aloneness, and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Southern Italian Individuals
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primary topic: Loneliness, Aloneness, and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Southern Italian Individuals

Nutrition
type: Concept
preferred label: Alimentación @es