Eur J Nutr. 2026 Aug 29;65(6):247. doi: 10.1007/s00394-026-04087-4.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The beneficial effects of Mediterranean Diet (MD) during pregnancy are well established. However, validated tools adapted to assess adherence to the MD during pregnancy and across different cultural contexts remain limited. This study aimed to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and validate an Italian version of the pregnancy-adapted Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (ITpreg-MEDAS), derived from the original Spanish preg-MEDAS questionnaire. We hypothesized that the ITpreg-MEDAS would show adequate construct validity and would be associated with markers of diet quality during pregnancy.
METHODS: The preg-MEDAS is a 17-item questionnaire designed to assess adherence to the MD among pregnant women. The Italian version was developed following a six steps process in accordance with established methodological guidelines: forward translation, synthesis I, blind-back translation, synthesis II, pre-testing, and validation. Psychometric properties were evaluated by assessing internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity, in a sample of Italian pregnant women.
RESULTS: The preg-MEDAS was translated and cross-cultural adapted, requiring some semantic revisions. All 25 Italian pregnant women involved in the pre-testing in pre-testing found it clear and comprehensible. A total of 116 Italian pregnant women participated in the validation phase, with a mean ITpreg-MEDAS score of 7.2 ± 2.5 out of 17, indicating medium adherence to the MD. Reliability was confirmed by good test-retest correlation (r = 0.756) and acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.623).
CONCLUSION: The ITpreg-MEDAS is a reliable and valid Italian version of the preg-MEDAS questionnaire, providing a simple tool to assess adherence to the Mediterranean Diet during pregnancy in both clinical practice and research.
PMID:42667436 | DOI:10.1007/s00394-026-04087-4
