Is higher adherence to the mediterranean diet associated with greater academic performance in children and adolescents? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: The aim of the present study was to synthesize the available evidence from the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and academic performance in children and adolescents. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted, which adhered to the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library) were examined from inception to April 8th, 2024. Results: Eighteen studies were included in the current systematic review and sixteen in the meta-analysis. The relationship between adherence to the MedDiet and academic performance among children and adolescents was statistically significant (Pearson's correlation coefficient [r] = 0.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14 to 0.21, p < 0.001; inconsistency index [I²] = 56.7%). The influence analysis revealed that removing individual studies one at a time did not result in any changes to the overall results (p < 0.05 in all cases). Conclusions: A higher adherence to the MedDiet could play a relevant role in academic performance among children and adolescents.