Stunting and Wasting Among Indian Preschoolers have Moderate but Significant Associations with the Vegetarian Status of their Mothers

BACKGROUND: India has high rates of child undernutrition and widespread lactovegetarianism. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine how nutrition outcomes varied among Indian preschool children in relation to the vegetarian status of their parents. METHODS: The 2015–2016 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) and the 2011–2012 National Sample Survey (NSS) were used to explore associations between parental vegetarian status and child stunting and wasting at ages 0–59 mo and anemia at ages 6–59 mo. In the NFHS, self-reports on usual consumption of foods were used to classify maternal diets, whereas in the NSS lactovegetarianism was defined at the household level. RESULTS: Compared with children of nonvegetarian mothers, children aged 24–59 mo of lactovegetarian mothers were 2.9 percentage points (95% CI: −4.0, −1.9) less likely to be stunted and children aged 6–23 mo were 1.6 points less likely to be wasted (95% CI: −3.0, −0.03), whereas children aged 6–23 mo with vegan mothers were 5.2 points more likely to be stunted (95% CI: 0.1, 9.4). When compared with nonvegetarian households, lactovegetarian households had better socioeconomic status and were more likely to consume dairy frequently. Children in nonvegetarian households consumed nondairy animal-sourced foods (ASFs) with relatively low frequency. The frequency of maternal dairy consumption was significantly associated with lower risks of child stunting and wasting. CONCLUSIONS: Anthropometric outcomes differed by maternal vegetarian status, which is itself strongly associated with socioeconomic position, location, religion, and caste.