TABLE 5.
Maternal and child dietary patterns for lactovegetarian and nonvegetarian households1
| Maternal consumption2 | Child consumption3 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lactovegetarian (n = 29,147) | Nonvegetarian (n = 89,580) | Difference4 | Lactovegetarian (n = 19,149) | Nonvegetarian (n = 61,762) | Difference | ||
| Green leafy vegetables | 0.465 ± 0.443 | 0.553 ± 0.446 | −0.088*** | Starches | 0.655 ± 0.475 | 0.682 ± 0.466 | −0.027*** |
| Fruit | 0.171 ± 0.307 | 0.168 ± 0.302 | 0.003 | Vit. A-rich fruit & vegetables | 0.353 ± 0.478 | 0.430 ± 0.495 | −0.077*** |
| Legumes/nuts | 0.497 ± 0.436 | 0.523 ± 0.440 | −0.026*** | Other fruit & vegetables | 0.212 ± 0.409 | 0.256 ± 0.436 | −0.044*** |
| Dairy | 0.612 ± 0.455 | 0.413 ± 0.456 | 0.199*** | Legumes/nuts | 0.094 ± 0.292 | 0.153 ± 0.360 | −0.059*** |
| Eggs | 0.000 ± 0.000 | 0.134 ± 0.217 | −0.134*** | Dairy | 0.573 ± 0.495 | 0.466 ± 0.499 | 0.106*** |
| Meat | 0.000 ± 0.000 | 0.086 ± 0.127 | −0.086*** | Eggs | 0.014 ± 0.116 | 0.195 ± 0.396 | −0.182*** |
| Fish | 0.000 ± 0.000 | 0.140 ± 0.252 | −0.140*** | Meat/flesh foods | 0.015 ± 0.123 | 0.142 ± 0.349 | −0.126*** |
Values in the 2 leftmost columns of each panel (Maternal consumption, Child consumption) are means ± SD based on estimates from the 2015–2016 National Family Health Survey in India. All statistics use NHFS survey weights. Sample is limited to children aged 12–59 mo and mothers of children aged 12–59 mo from the main empirical sample. Only 1 observation per mother is used in the Maternal consumption panel. #P value < 0.10; *P value < 0.05; **P value < 0.01; ***P value < 0.001.
Maternal consumption is based on self-reports on typical diets. Maternal daily-equivalent values are constructed by assigning a daily probability of consumption of 1 to mothers who report consuming a food group daily, a probability of 1/7 to mothers who report consuming a food group weekly, and a probability of 1/60 (once every other month) to mothers who report consuming a food group occasionally.
Child consumption is based on maternal reports on child consumption from each food group in the 24 h preceding the survey.
Differences and corresponding P values are from a t test of the null hypothesis of no difference in means between lactovegetarian mothers and nonvegetarian mothers.
LVG, Lactovegetarian; Non-Veg., nonvegetarian.