Knowledge and Attitude about Vegetarianism Saudi Population

Abstract

Abstract Background: In recent years, there has been a great interest in the dietary practices of vegetarians in addition to an increasing awareness of the potential benefits of vegetarian diets. However, there is insufficient data on the spread of vegetarianism in Arab countries. The study aims to investigate knowledge and attitude about vegetarianism and associated factors in Saudi population and to understand reasons for its growing prevalence. Method: Participants in this cross-sectional study were aged 18–65. Participants were recruited primarily through social media. The electronic questionnaire compromised three sections: socio-demographic questions, reasons for following a vegetarian diet, and beliefs and knowledge about vegetarianism. Multivariate binary logistic regression was utilized to determine predictive factors for being a vegetarian. Results: Responses were 3,035 of which 80.2% were female and 19.8% were male. Vegetarians represented 37.5% (15.7% semi-vegetarians, 8.1% pesco-vegetarians, 64.3% lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and 11.3% vegans) and the rest were non-vegetarians. The majority of the vegetarian participants (92.9%) have a low knowledge level. Health issues, followed by ethical, then environmental concerns were the most common motivators for adopting a vegetarian diet; these reasons were cited by 72.5%, 59.3%, and 47.9% of participants, respectively. Factors associated with increased vegetarianism were having exercises for half an hour to two hours, while factors associated with decreased vegetarianism were male gender, aged 51–64 years, being married, having a higher education, working in the health sector, being a housewife, and having an income between 5,000–10,000 SR/month. Conclusion: Vegetarianism appears to be growing phenomenon among the Saudi population. Increased awareness of health issues and the desire to live a healthy lifestyle might be the strongest motive. This study offers an opportunity to better understand vegetarianism in Saudi Arabia along with the possibility of expanding vegetarian food choices to the general public.