304 - Vegetarian Diets in Early Childhood and Nutrition Risk: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Publication Number: 3293.304

Rosella M. Le, University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Brampton, ON, Canada; Charles DG. Keown-Stoneman, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Michaela Kucab, University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada; Curtis D'Hollander, University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine, London, ON, Canada; Catherine Birken, The Hospital for Sick Children, toronto, ON, Canada; David JA. Jenkins, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Jonathon maguire, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Background: There is conflicting information and position statements from professional associations about vegetarian diets for children. This knowledge gap emphasizes the need for stronger evidence about vegetarian diets for children.

Objective: To evaluate the association between children following a vegetarian diet and nutrition risk in children aged 12 months to 6 years of age.

Design/Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was conducted among healthy children 12 months to 6 years of age participating in The Applied Research Group for Kids (TARGet Kids!) primary care research network. 3-day parent completed food recalls were used to determine whether children followed a vegetarian diet. For the analysis, children having vegetarian and vegan diets were classified as vegetarian, as vegan diet was considered a type of vegetarian diet. Nutrition risk data was determined using the validated Nutrition Screening Tool for Toddlers and Preschoolers (NutriSTEP) which included total NutriSTEP score, NutriSTEP dietary intake subscore, and NutriSTEP eating behaviour subscore. Total NutriSTEP score was also dichotomized into low nutrition risk (total NutriSTEP score < 21) and high nutrition risk (total NutriSTEP score ≥ 21).

Results: A total of 7887 children were included with mean age was 31.1 ± 15.9 months and 52.3% of children were male and 47.7% were female. At baseline, 214 children (2.7%) were classified as having a vegetarian diet and 23 children (0.3%) were classified as having a vegan diet. In the primary adjusted analysis, there was little evidence of an association between vegetarian diet and total NutriSTEP score (p = 0.99, CI: -0.56, 0.56). In the secondary adjusted analysis, there was little evidence of an association between vegetarian diet and high nutrition risk (p = 0.90, CI: 0.72, 1.33), NutriSTEP dietary intake subscore (p = 0.44, CI: -0.42, 0.18), or NutriSTEP eating behaviour subscore (p = 0.62, CI: -0.22, 0.36). There was insufficient data to assess the association between children with vegan diets and nutrition risk.

Conclusion(s): In this study of children 12 months to 6 years of age, children with vegetarian diets had similar nutrition risk as children without vegetarian diets. These findings support a better understanding of the nutritional adequacy of vegetarian diets for children. However, more research on vegan diets is needed.