Affiliation:
1. Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, DC, USA
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background
India has high rates of child undernutrition and widespread lactovegetarianism.
Objectives
The objective of this study was to examine how nutrition outcomes varied among Indian preschool children in relation to the vegetarian status of their parents.
Methods
The 2015–2016 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) and the 2011–2012 National Sample Survey (NSS) were used to explore associations between parental vegetarian status and child stunting and wasting at ages 0–59 mo and anemia at ages 6–59 mo. In the NFHS, self-reports on usual consumption of foods were used to classify maternal diets, whereas in the NSS lactovegetarianism was defined at the household level.
Results
Compared with children of nonvegetarian mothers, children aged 24–59 mo of lactovegetarian mothers were 2.9 percentage points (95% CI: −4.0, −1.9) less likely to be stunted and children aged 6–23 mo were 1.6 points less likely to be wasted (95% CI: −3.0, −0.03), whereas children aged 6–23 mo with vegan mothers were 5.2 points more likely to be stunted (95% CI: 0.1, 9.4). When compared with nonvegetarian households, lactovegetarian households had better socioeconomic status and were more likely to consume dairy frequently. Children in nonvegetarian households consumed nondairy animal-sourced foods (ASFs) with relatively low frequency. The frequency of maternal dairy consumption was significantly associated with lower risks of child stunting and wasting.
Conclusions
Anthropometric outcomes differed by maternal vegetarian status, which is itself strongly associated with socioeconomic position, location, religion, and caste.
Funder
Advancing Research on Nutrition and Agriculture
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Agriculture for Nutrition and Health
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Nutrition and Dietetics,Medicine (miscellaneous)
Cited by
14 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献