Adolescent vegetarians. A behavioral profile of a school-based population in Minnesota.
OBJECTIVE
To compare a population-based sample of vegetarian and nonvegetarian adolescents regarding food intake patterns, disordered eating, and a range of other non-food-related health-compromising and health-promoting behaviors.


METHODS
A cross-sectional school-based survey.


METHODS
Public schools within nonurban areas of Minnesota.


METHODS
Adolescents (n = 107) aged 12 to 20 years who reported on the Minnesota Adolescent Health Survey that they follow a vegetarian diet and a comparison group of nonvegetarian youth (n = 214) matched for sex, age, and ethnicity. The percentage of self-identified vegetarians in the study population was relatively low (0.6%); most of the vegetarians were female (81%).


METHODS
Food intake patterns, disordered eating (frequent dieting, binge eating, self-induced vomiting, and laxative use), health-compromising behaviors (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use and suicide attempts), and health-promoting behaviors (seat belt use, physical activity, and brushing teeth regularly).


RESULTS
Vegetarian adolescents were twice as likely to consume fruits and vegetables (P < .001), one third as likely to consume sweets (P < .001), and one fourth as likely to eat salty snack foods (P < .001) more than once a day compared with nonvegetarians. Vegetarians were almost twice as likely to report frequent dieting (P < .001), 4 times as likely to report intentional vomiting (P < .001), and 8 times as likely to report laxative use (P < .001) than nonvegetarians. Overall, associations with other health-compromising and health-promoting behaviors were not apparent.


CONCLUSIONS
A vegetarian diet may be beneficial because of increased fruit and vegetable consumption and decreased consumption of foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. However, adolescents following a vegetarian diet need to be screened for adequate food intake and potential disordered eating behaviors.
Neumark-Sztainer
D
D
Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
Story
M
M
Resnick
M D
MD
Blum
R W
RW
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*