A Pilot Study on Ad Libitum Mediterranean Diet Intervention for Women with PCOS: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Acceptability, Adherence, and Participant Lived Experience

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Hazel

A healthy diet is essential for managing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), yet optimal recommendations remain unclear, motivating an exploration of alternative lifestyle options. A 12-week ad libitum Mediterranean diet intervention was delivered to women with PCOS (n=12) to assess acceptability, adherence, and lived experience. Acceptability and experiences were examined via surveys and semi-structured interviews, analyzed using thematic approaches mapped to COM-B, TDF, and the Behaviour Change Wheel. Mediterranean diet adherence improved significantly by week 12, alongside gains in knowledge, cooking confidence, and time management.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

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Please do not remove this page A Pilot Study on Ad Libitum Mediterranean Diet Intervention for Women with PCOS: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Acceptability, Adherence, and Participant Lived Experience Scannell, Nicole; Villani, Anthony; Moran, Lisa; [et.al](et.al). [https://research.usc.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/A-Pilot-Study-on-Ad-Libitum/991114191502621/filesAndLinks?index=0](https://research.usc.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/A-Pilot-Study-on-Ad-Libitum/991114191502621/filesAndLinks?index=0) Scannell, N., Villani, A., Moran, L., Mantzioris, E., & Cowan, S. (2025). A Pilot Study on Ad Libitum Mediterranean Diet Intervention for Women with PCOS: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Acceptability, Adherence, and Participant Lived Experience. Nutrients, 17(7), Article 1105. [https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071](https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071) 105 Document Type: Published Version Link to Published Version: [https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071](https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071) 105 UniSC Research Bank: [https://research.usc.edu.au](https://research.usc.edu.au)[ ](https://research.usc.edu.au)[research-repository@usc.edu.au](research-repository@usc.edu.au) [CC BY V4.0](CC BY V4.0) © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ( [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)). Downloaded On 2026/09/27 23:27:46 +1000 Please do not remove this page Article A Pilot Study on Ad Libitum Mediterranean Diet Intervention for Women with PCOS: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Acceptability, Adherence, and Participant Lived Experience Nicole Scannell 1, Anthony Villani 1, Lisa Moran 2,*, Evangeline Mantzioris 3 and Stephanie Cowan 2 Academic Editor: Herbert Ryan Marini Received: 4 March 2025 Revised: 17 March 2025 Accepted: 19 March 2025 Published: 21 March 2025 Citation: Scannell, N.; Villani, A.; Moran, L.; Mantzioris, E.; Cowan, S. A Pilot Study on AdLibitum Mediterranean Diet Intervention for Women with PCOS: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Acceptability, Adherence, and Participant Lived Experience. Nutrients 2025, 17, 1105 . [https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071105](https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071105) [Copyright:](Copyright:) © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://creativecommons.org/](https://creativecommons.org/)[ ](https://creativecommons.org/)[licenses/by/4.0/](licenses/by/4.0/)) . 1 School of Health, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD 4556, Australia; [nicole.scannell@research.usc.edu.au](nicole.scannell@research.usc.edu.au) (N.S.); [avillani@usc.edu.au](avillani@usc.edu.au) (A.V.) 2 Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation (MCHRI), School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia; [stephanie.cowan@monash.edu](stephanie.cowan@monash.edu) [3](3 UniSA: Clinical & Health Sciences)[ UniSA: Clinical & Health Sciences](3 UniSA: Clinical & Health Sciences), [Alliance for Research in Exercise](Alliance for Research in Exercise), [Nutrition](Nutrition), [and Activity](and Activity) ([ARENA](ARENA)), University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; [evangeline.mantzioris@unisa.edu.au](evangeline.mantzioris@unisa.edu.au) * Correspondence: [lisa.moran@monash.edu](lisa.moran@monash.edu); Tel.: +61-03-8572-2664 Abstract: Background/Objectives: A healthy diet is essential for managing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), yet optimal recommendations remain unclear, highlighting the need to explore alternative lifestyle interventions. The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) supports cardiometabolic health; however, challenges with adherence within this population ar

FAQs

What was the main purpose of the pilot study?

To explore acceptability, adherence, and participant lived experience of an ad libitum Mediterranean diet intervention in women with PCOS.

How long was the Mediterranean diet intervention, and who participated?

The intervention lasted 12 weeks and included women aged 18–45 years diagnosed with PCOS and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (n=12).

What outcomes were reported regarding adherence by week 12?

Mediterranean diet adherence increased significantly from baseline to week 12, and participants also showed improvements in knowledge, cooking confidence, and time management.

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Hazel