A certain link exists between the consumption of particular groups of food and well-being. In this study, we analyzed in depth the relationship between strict adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and emotional well-being through a descriptive, exploratory, transversal, and correlational study of students from the Campus of Melilla, University of Granada, Spain. The sample consisted of 272 individuals. Adherence to the MD was measured with the PREvención con DIetaMEDiterránea (PREDIMED) questionnaire, emotional well-being (both positive and negative affection) with the Spanish version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the state of perceived health with the Short Form-36 (SF36), and the degree of physical activity using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). A strict adherence to the MD was found to be significantly related to positive emotional state (β = 0.018, p = 0.009). The perceived state of health (β = 0.192, p < 0.001), mental role (β = 0.346, p < 0.001), and physical activity (β = 0.155, p = 0.007) were found to be predictive factors of a positive emotional state. Conversely, the relationship between the adherence to the MD and a negative emotional state was not significant. Various components of the MD were found to be independently connected to well-being. The results suggest that adopting a nutritional pattern such as the MD is linked to an improvement in emotional well-being.

The main objective of this study was to assess the relationship between Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) according to the anthropometric measurements of teaching and research staff (TRS) at the University of Granada (UGR), Spain. This diagnostic, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and observational study was performed on university lecturers (65 women and 62 men) using a correlational descriptive methodology. The lecturers’ anthropometric measurements were taken, while MD adherence was determined using the PREvention with MEDiterranean diet (PREDIMED) questionnaire. The Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used for measuring HRQOL. Better results for body composition were associated with improvements in the physical and mental dimensions and MD adherence. Statistically significant differences were found between sexes, with men showing higher values for weight, height, waist circumference, BMI, waist/hip ratio (WHR), muscle mass, and systolic and diastolic pressure than women. Similarly, MD adherence was positively correlated with vitality (r = 0.233; p = 0.009), social functioning (r = 0.229; p = 0.008), and the mental component summary (r = 0.205; p = 0.021). The regression model determined that the mental component summary (β = 0.239, p = 0.041), diastolic pressure (PD) (β = −0.473, p < 0.000), fat percentage (FP) (β = −0.241, p = 0.004), and age (β = −0.231, p = 0.022) significantly predicted MD adherence. The results obtained in this study suggest that healthy dietary patterns such as the MD and an optimum body composition contribute to an improved HRQOL.

Background/Objectives: Adolescence is a critical period for the early detection of metabolic syndrome (MetS), a condition that increases the risk of cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood. Timely identification of at-risk adolescents enables targeted prevention strategies. This study aimed to analyze the discriminative capacity and accuracy of six biochemical and/or anthropometric indices related to lipid metabolism and adiposity for the early detection of MetS in a sample of Spanish adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out according to the STROBE guidelines. A sample of 981 adolescents aged 11–16 years old were randomly recruited from schools in Southeastern Spain. The presence or absence of MetS was determined according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria. The following biochemical and/or anthropometric indices were evaluated: triglyceride glucose index, visceral adiposity index, logarithm children’s lipid accumulation product, triglyceride glucose-body mass index, triglyceride glucose-waist circumference, and triglyceride glucose-waist-to-hip ratio. Results: The triglyceride glucose-waist-to-hip ratio and triglyceride glucose-body mass index parameters were the strongest indicators associated with MetS in boys and girls, respectively, after adjusting for several factors. Moreover, all evaluated indices showed optimal AUC values, with the visceral adiposity index and triglyceride glucose-waist circumference index exhibiting the highest discriminative capacity in both genders. Conclusions: The evaluated biochemical and anthropometric indices—particularly visceral adiposity index and triglyceride-glucose-waist circumference—show promise as accessible biomarkers for identifying adolescents at metabolic risk. These indices may serve as practical tools in preventive health strategies aimed at improving metabolic health by screening adolescents at risk of MetS, thereby helping to reduce the future burden of non-communicable diseases.

(1) Background: The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) constitutes a public health problem given their high availability and easy accessibility among children and young people and their influence on the development of non-communicable diseases in the long term. In this context, culture and religion may be modulating factors for the consumption of processed food. The aim of this study is to assess the consumption of UPFs in Spanish schoolchildren living in Melilla (North Africa), together with the possible impact of religion on this. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study of 590 Christian and Muslim schoolchildren aged 15–17 years was conducted. The NOVA food classification was used to identify UPFs. Associations between religion and daily consumption were identified using risk analysis (Odds Ratio). (3) Results: Muslim schoolchildren had a higher consumption of industrial juices [OR = 2.700, 95%CI = 1.830–4.037], milkshakes [OR = 2.925, 95% = 1.850–4.748], industrial pastries [OR = 2.217, 95% = 1.440–3.510], sweets [OR = 2.197, 95%CI = 1.437–3.541], chocolates [OR = 2.272, 95%CI = 1.482–3.606] and savory snacks [OR = 3.431, 95%CI = 1.844–6.579] compared to that observed among Christians. (4) Conclusions: Both Muslim and Christian schoolchildren had a high consumption of UPFs. Regarding the potential impact of religion on the consumption of UPF, we observed that Muslim schoolchildren consumed three to four times more UPF than Christian schoolchildren. These results show a shift away from a healthy eating pattern, especially among Muslim schoolchildren. Thus, it is necessary to implement nutritional education strategies in order to understand and control the consumption of UPF in adolescents, thereby reducing the occurrence of non-communicable diseases in the long term.

Background/objectives: Overweight and obesity are growing concerns that also affect nursing staff, healthcare professionals that play a critical role in public health awareness and intervention. This study aimed to define the health parameters associated with body weight, analyze if there is an erroneous self-perception of overweight/obesity through the distortion of body weight perception, and determine the predictive factors of body weight distortion. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 224 nursing students gathered anthropometric and demographic data. Self-perceived body weight was assessed using Stunkard and Stellar’s scale. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression identified significant predictors of weight distortion. Results: The analysis found that men reported greater weight discrepancies than women. Specifically, 57% of the men (28 of 49 participants) underestimated their real BMI, while only 23% of the women (40 of 175 participants) did so. Age, sex, and weight classification emerged as significant explanatory variables for the distortion of body weight perception. Conclusions: The findings indicate a significant vulnerability among nursing students to the misperception of their own body weight status, highlighting the need for targeted training strategies. These strategies should focus on correcting misperceptions of obesity among health professionals throughout their working life to improve future obesity prevention efforts for society.

Different indirect methods have been developed to assess insulin resistance (IR), though their validation has been limited to adult populations. In this sense, the study aim is to compare the predictive capacity of the McAuley, QUICKI, SPISE indices, and glucose-insulin ratio against insulin resistance (IR) in Spanish adolescents and to establish reliable cut-off values for these indices in this population. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 981 adolescents aged 11–16 years, from Southern Spain. Anthropometric measurements and fasting biochemical parameters, were assessed. IR indices, such as HOMA-IR, QUICKI, the McAuley index, SPISE, and the glucose-insulin ratio, were calculated. The ability of each index to predict IR was evaluated using multivariate regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Boys exhibited higher waist circumference, triglyceride levels, and fasting insulin levels, while girls had a higher percentage of body fat (p < 0.05). HOMA-IR values increased in adolescents with obesity, whereas McAuley and QUICKI indices decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Similar results were found in adolescents with MetS in comparison to non-MetS adolescents. QUICKI showed the highest predictive accuracy (AUC: 1.00), followed by the McAuley index (AUC: 0.983 in boys, 0.977 in girls), and SPISE (AUC: 0.896 in boys, 0.852 in girls). The cut-off points for these indices were 5.794,0.316, and 7.8 respectively, both for boys and girls. The glucose-insulin ratio demonstrated poor predictive ability. The QUICKI, McAuley, and SPISE indices are effective in predicting IR among Spanish adolescents. Their use could aid in early detection of metabolic and cardiovascular disfunctions, though further validation in larger cohorts is required for clinical application.