Diets and selected lifestyle practices of self-defined adult vegetarians from a population-based sample suggest they are more 'health conscious'
Open accessAbstract
Background: Few population-based studies of vegetarians have been published. Thus we compared self-reported vegetarians to non-vegetarians in a representative sample of British Columbia (BC) adults, weighted to reflect the BC population. Methods: Questionnaires, 24-hr recalls and anthropometric measures were completed during in-person interviews with 1817 community-dwelling residents, 19–84 years, recruited using a population-based health registry. Vegetarian status was self-defined. ANOVA with age as a covariate was used to analyze continuous variables, and chi-square was used for categorical variables. Supplement intakes were compared using the Mann-Whitney test. Results: Approximately 6% (n = 106) stated that they were vegetarian, and most did not adhere rigidly to a flesh-free diet. Vegetarians were more likely female (71% vs. 49%), single, of low-income status, and tended to be younger. Female vegetarians had lower BMI than non-vegetarians (23.1 ± 0.7 (mean ± SE) vs. 25.7 ± 0.2 kg/m 2), and also had lower waist circumference (75.0 ± 1.5 vs. 79.8 ± 0.5 cm). Male vegetarians and non-vegetarians had similar BMI (25.9 ± 0.8 vs. 26.7 ± 0.2 kg/m 2) and waist circumference (92.5 ± 2.3 vs. 91.7 ± 0.4 cm). Female vegetarians were more physically active (69% vs. 42% active ≥4/wk) while male vegetarians were more likely to use nutritive supplements (71% vs. 51%). Energy intakes were similar, but vegetarians reported higher % energy as carbohydrate (56% vs. 50%), and lower % protein (men only; 13% vs. 17%) or % fat (women only; 27% vs. 33%). Vegetarians had higher fiber, magnesium and potassium intakes. For several other nutrients, differences by vegetarian status differed by gender. The prevalence of inadequate magnesium intake (% below Estimated Average Requirement) was lower in vegetarians than non-vegetarians (15% vs. 34%). Female vegetarians also had a lower prevalence of inadequate thiamin, folate, vitamin B 6 and C intakes. Vegetarians were more likely than non-vegetarians to consider various health conditions and food/nutrition concerns when choosing foods. Conclusion: In this population-based study, evidence was obtained to indicate that vegetarians appear more 'health conscious' than non-vegetarians, although specific differences were not always consistent by gender. Additional population-based studies are required to determine if the observed gender differences exist in other populations.
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A confounding factor in epidemiologic studies is the bias of self-decided vegans who may differ from nonvegans in factors that may influence diet and health.
“A confounding factor to consider in epidemiologic studies is the bias of self-decided vegans who may differ from nonvegans in factors that may influence diet and health.21”
From Cardiometabolic Effects of Omnivorous vs Vegan Diets in Identical Twins: A Randomized Clinical Trial (2023) · cites this paper as [21]
The Discussion (page unavailable) reports that self-defined vegetarians differed from non-vegetarians in dietary habits, lifestyle behaviors, and food-choice motivations. The Background also suggests that lifestyle differences may help explain observed health effects. The study examined vegetarians, not vegans; most self-identified vegetarians reported eating some animal products, so it does not establish the claim specifically for vegans. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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- Authors
- Bedford, J. L., & Barr, S. I.
- Affiliations
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Barr, Susan I
- ORCID
- Barr, Susan I
- Venue
- International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
- Published
- 2005-04-13
- Volume
- 2
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 4-4
- ISSN
- 1479-5868 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC1090609
- OpenAlex
- W2150554375
- Cited by
- 130
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 4.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- cIRcle (University of British Columbia) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Open Collections
- Funders
- Health Canada
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Keywords
- vegetarians, vegetarian diet, dietary intake, lifestyle habits, health consciousness, body mass index, waist circumference, physical activity, dietary supplements, nutrient intake, dietary magnesium, folate intake, vitamin C intake, sex differences, energy intake, dietary fiber intake, self-reported dietary intake, 24-hour dietary recall, anthropometry
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