Traditional Dairy and Olive Food Preferences Are Associated with Mediterranean Diet Adherence in Cyprus

Abstract

The Mediterranean diet is recognised as one of the healthiest dietary patterns worldwide; however, adherence has declined even within Mediterranean populations. This study investigated Mediterranean diet adherence and examined its associations with preferences for traditional dairy products and olive-related products among adults participating in a study in Cyprus. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 273 adults using a structured questionnaire that included sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, the 14-item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), and questions assessing preferences for and consumption of dairy products, olive oil, olive-derived products, and foods prepared with olive oil. Descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, and multiple linear regression were performed. The mean MEDAS score was 8.1 ± 2.6; using study-specific descriptive categories, 40.0% of participants had scores classified as good to excellent adherence. Olive oil was the most preferred and most frequently consumed olive-related product, with 75.1% of participants reporting that they “liked very much” olive oil and 49.8% consuming it daily. In the primary multivariable analysis, older age, greater traditional dairy preference, greater olive-related preference, and more frequent olive-related consumption were associated with higher MEDAS scores, whereas sex, body mass index, smoking status, and physical activity were not significantly associated with MEDAS score. However, in a sensitivity analysis excluding the two olive-oil-related MEDAS components, the olive-related preference and consumption associations were no longer statistically significant. Overall, traditional food preferences were associated with Mediterranean diet adherence within this convenience sample; however, the olive-related findings should be interpreted cautiously because of potential construct and measurement overlap. Given the cross-sectional design and demographic characteristics of the sample, these findings do not establish temporality or causality and should not be considered representative of the general adult population of Cyprus.