Title:
Exploring the Nutrient Intake of Female College Students following a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet
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Abstract
Title: Exploring the Nutrient Intake of Female College Students following a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet
Lucy Ward and Jesse Stabile Morrell
Objectives: Compare the dietary intake and nutrients of concern between female students who
consume vegetarian/vegan diets vs. matched students not following a plant-based diet.
Methods: Data were collected from one academic year, 2020-21, using the College Health and Nutrition
Assessment Survey, an ongoing cross-sectional study at a public northeastern university. Female
participants were recruited from an introductory nutrition course taken by all majors as general
education, ages 18-24 years. Participants self-reported following a vegetarian or vegan dietary pattern in
an online questionnaire (Qualtrics). Non-vegetarian/vegan students (2:1) were randomly matched
according to age, BMI group, major, smoking status, and living accommodations. Nutrient intake was
calculated from 3-day food records after students completed educational sessions related to portion
size estimation. Food records were reviewed for errors after completion and analyzed via analysis
software (Diet and Wellness+). Nutrients of concern for vegetarians (vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, and
calcium) were categorized using their respective age-specific RDAs for females (meeting or not meeting
recommendations). Differences between dietary patterns and meeting RDA intake was measured using
chi-squared (p <.05). Mean differences between nutrient intake were examined using independent t-
tests (p<.05 and CI 95%), but not significant. ANCOVA was used to analysis nutrient intake, using eating
competence and vitamin supplementation as covariates, but not significant (p<.05).
Results: Of the final sample (n=177), 10.2% (n=18) reported following a vegetarian/vegan diet. After
adding participants 2:1 with non-vegetarian matches, 100% of participants failed to meet
recommendations for Vit D, 85.2 for calcium, 87% for iron, and 68.5% for vit B12. No differences were
observed in those meeting recommendations between vegetarian/vegan vs. non-vegetarian participants
(all p>.05). Collectively 72% and 58% of vegetarians and non-vegetarians, respectively, failed to meet
any of the RDAs (p=.562). No significance (p>.05) was seen when measuring individual micronutrient
intake, while adjusting for eating competence and supplementation.
Conclusions: Most students failed to meet recommendations for nutrients. No differences were
observed between students following a vegetarian/vegan diet vs. those who were not. Findings
demonstrate the need for nutrition education for young adults regardless of their reported dietary
patterns.
Funding Source: New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station and USDA National Institute of Food
and Agriculture Hatch Project 1010738.
Authors
First Name |
Last Name |
Jesse
|
Stabile Morrell
|
Lucy
|
Ward
|
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Submission Details
Conference GRC
Event Graduate Research Conference
Department Nutritional Sciences: Dietetic Internship (GRC)
Group Poster Presentation
Added April 9, 2023, 6:17 p.m.
Updated April 9, 2023, 6:17 p.m.
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