1. Introduction
SE, Anxiety, anxiety
EVENTS, DISORDERS
These authors contributed equally to this work.These authors also contributed equally to this work.Stress and anxiety are frequent occurrences among pregnant women. We aimed to evaluate the effects of a Mediterranean diet intervention during pregnancy on maternal stress, well-being, and sleep quality throughout gestation. In a randomized clinical trial, 1221 high-risk pregnant women were randomly allocated into three groups at 19–23 weeks’ gestation: a Mediterranean diet intervention, a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, or usual care. All women who provided self-reported life-style questionnaires to measure their anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)), well-being (WHO Five Well Being Index (WHO-5)), and sleep quality (Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI)) at enrollment and at the end of the intervention (34–36 weeks) were included. In a random subgroup of 106 women, the levels of cortisol and related metabolites were also measured. At the end of the intervention (34–36 weeks), participants in the Mediterranean diet group had significantly lower perceived stress and anxiety scores (PSS mean (SE) 15.9 (0.4) vs. 17.0 (0.4), The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has several positive effects on individual health: randomized trials demonstrated its contribution to improved cardiovascular profiles and reduced major cardiovascular events in individuals at risk of [Stress and anxiety are frequent occurrences among pregnant women. Peripartum anxiety disorders are more prevalent than previously thought, as 1 in 5 women can suffer from them [During pregnancy, evidence has been provided regarding the potential beneficial effects that structured dietary interventions based on a MedDiet can have, not only on pregnant women [The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of a structured intervention during pregnancy based on a MedDiet on maternal stress and anxiety, mindful state, quality of life and sleep.