• Juan José Hernández-Morante, Carmen Piernas, Daniel Guillén-Martínez, Antonio Pardo-Caballero, María José Fernández-Abellán, and Isabel Morales-Moreno.
• Faculty of Nursing, Catholic University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain. Electronic address: jjhernandez@ucam.edu.
• Nutrition. 2020 Mar 1; 71: 110611.

ObjectiveThe first aim of this study was to evaluate the health status and anthropometrical development of adopted children from Ethiopia living in southern Spain. A second aim was to evaluate the association between these parameters and adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern.MethodsThe study sample included 53 adopted children from Ethiopia and a matched sample of 54 native-born children. A physical examination of the children, including height and weight, was conducted in Ethiopia at the time of entry into the adoption process. Height and weight were re-measured at the first day of adoption and 6, 12, and 24 mo after adoption. After 2 y of follow-up, another physical examination was performed, including the KIDMED test, to measure adherence to the Mediterranean diet.ResultsSkin and digestive conditions were the most prevalent disorders in Ethiopian children before adoption and at the end of follow-up. Baseline anthropometric characteristics indicated a low wasting prevalence (7.5%); however, stunted growth was more prevalent (35.8%). After 6 mo, the weight-for-age of Ethiopian children was restored (change from baseline P < 0.001), and not significantly different from the Spanish children at 1-y after adoption. Height-for-age also increased from baseline (P < 0.001. A higher KIDMED score was associated with increased weight-for-age (r = 0.279; P = 0.045) and height-for-age (r = 0.385; P = 0.004).ConclusionsThis prospective study of adopted Ethiopian children confirmed a rapid growth development that occurred from the beginning of the adoption process and continued after the 2-y of follow-up. A higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with better growth development, which reinforces the importance of a balanced and adequate diet in growing children.Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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