A longitudinal study of the growth of matched pairs of vegetarian and omnivorous children, aged 7-11 years, in the north-west of England.

Abstract

To assess the ability of a meat free diet to support normal growth of children. A one year longitudinal observational case--comparison study of growth. Children were recruited mainly through schools from Merseyside and all measurements were taken in their homes. Fifty 'free-living' children following meat free diets, aged 7-11 y (expected to be pre-pubertal), were compared with a control group of 50 omnivores matched for age, sex and ethnic group. None. Height, weight, upper arm skinfold thicknesses and mid-upper arm circumference measurements were taken at baseline and one year later. The increments over one year were each analysed using a multiple stepwise regression model which derived predicted increments controlled for a variety of factors other than the diet factor. Of all the anthropometric measurements examined only the predicted height increment of the vegetarians was slightly greater than that of the omnivores (difference in predicted height increment = 0.47 cm, P = 0.05). This difference was only apparent after allowing for father's height, maternal smoking habit and number of siblings. A tendency for the vegetarians to be leaner than the omnivores was not significant at the 5% level and both the vegetarian and omnivorous groups lay close to the 50th percentiles for both height and weight (Child Growth Foundation, 1994). The results suggest that these children who followed a meat free diet and conventional lifestyles grew at least as well as children who ate meat.