{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,12]],"date-time":"2026-06-12T22:52:29Z","timestamp":1781304749239,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776211200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Nutrition literacy (NL) is an important determinant of healthy dietary behaviors, particularly among population groups at increased cardiovascular risk. This study aimed to describe NL and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), and to describe their association, among women aged 45\u201370 years living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Florence (Italy). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted within the Joint Action on Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes (JACARDI). This study represents the second step of Phase 1 of the Optimising Health Literacy and Access (Ophelia) process. Women were recruited in a primary health care setting using a convenience sample. NL was assessed using the Italian-adapted version of the Nutrition Literacy Assessment Instrument (NLit-IT) and the adherence to the MD using MEDI-LITE. Results: Questionnaires filled in by 143 women were included in the analysis. Most participants (63.6%) had \u201cpossibility of poor NL\u201d. Regarding the MD, 60.8% showed moderate and 9.1% low adherence. A positive correlation was observed between total NLit-IT and MEDI-LITE scores (rho = 0.214; p = 0.011). In logistic regression analysis, an increase in the NLit-IT total score was associated with a higher possibility of having a moderate\/high adherence to the MD (OR 1.157). Only the subscale \u201cFood Label and Numeracy\u201d of NLit-IT emerged as an independent predictor of moderate\/high adherence to the MD (OR 1.416). Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest a possible association between NL and adherence to the MD. Further longitudinal and interventional studies are needed to confirm these results and inform tailored nutrition education interventions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu18081238","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T08:11:18Z","timestamp":1776240678000},"page":"1238","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Nutrition Literacy and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Women Aged 45\u201370 Years: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from the Ophelia Study in Florence"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3170-1857","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chiara","family":"Lorini","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy"},{"name":"Health Literacy Laboratory, Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-8659-9185","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diletta","family":"Buresta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chiara","family":"Marini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-6958-0275","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claudia","family":"Cosma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-3817-1200","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claudia","family":"Biagi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chiara","family":"Milani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3557-3015","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giulia","family":"Naldini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of District Healthcare Network, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, 50122 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gabriele","family":"Cerini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Specialization School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-1077-2380","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alice","family":"Graziani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Specialization School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2742-0297","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marco","family":"Del Riccio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy"},{"name":"Health Literacy Laboratory, Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8202-2937","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patrizio","family":"Zanobini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy"},{"name":"Health Literacy Laboratory, Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4015-3402","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Veronica","family":"Gallinoro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Specialization School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lorenzo","family":"Baggiani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of District Healthcare Network, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, 50122 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"Nerattini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Health Society of Florence, 50122 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5171-4308","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guglielmo","family":"Bonaccorsi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Viale G.B. 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