Introduction:

Establish the level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and the level of recreational physical activity (R-PA), is of interest for decision-making. The aim of this research was to describe the degree of adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern and the level of R-PA in a sample of the Spanish population, establishing their relationship.

Methodology:

Cross-sectional descriptive study using a self-administered online questionnaire composed of: Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) and the R-PA domain of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). 5,700 randomly and stratified pre-selected subjects (general population, >16 years old, both sexes, all Spanish regions, proportional to census data). Statistical analyzes performed, as appropriate: mean, median, standard deviation, interquartile range, Kolmorogrov-Smirnov test, T-Student, U Man-Withney, χ2 of Pearson, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis.

Results:

4,302 valid interviews. The mean score for adherence to MD was 6.34 (2.00). 70.8% practiced R-PA at least once a week. Moderate intensity prevailed over vigorous or intense (85.3% vs. 61.2%). The level of adherence to MD among those who practiced sports tended to be higher (0.5 points; mean: 6.49 [2.00]) than those who did not practice (mean: 5.98 [1.95]). The higher the mean score of adherence to MD, the shorter the sitting time (sedentary behavior).

Conclusions:

Adherence to MD was low, while the level of R-PA was moderate-high. A high percentage of the population reported having sedentary behaviors. Adherence to the MD pattern tended to be higher among those who performed R-PA (20% PA vs. 10% non-PA), this increase being dependent on the intensity of PA and the amount of time spent.

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