Abstract
Objectives. We examined the influence of vegetarian diet on the risk of developing anaemia among Indian women and suggest initiatives for addressing diet-related iron-deficiency anaemia.Methods. We analysed data on diet, social class, and haemoglobin levels from the nationally representative Indian National Family and Health Survey 2005/06 for a sample of 81,301 women aged 15–49 years using logistic regression models.Results. After controlling for individual-level factors and household level socioeconomic characteristics, daily consumption of meat, fish, and eggs was associated with lower odds of being moderately or severely anaemic. Our analysis also revealed that economic characteristics such as being from higher wealth quintiles, being in paid employment, and rural residence reduced the odds of having iron-deficiency anaemia among Indian women.Discussion. As a large proportion of Indians subsist on iron-poor vegetarian diets for religious, economic, and cultural reasons, large-scale iron supplementation and fortification of commonly consumed vegetarian foodstuffs constitute a feasible, culturally appropriate, and cost-effective strategy for addressing this major public health problem. Consumption of cheap iron-rich foodstuffs should be promoted. Effective poverty alleviation and hookworm prevention programs are also important. Large-scale cohort and intervention studies are urgently required to further define the influence of vegetarianism on iron deficiency anaemia in India.
Highlights
Anaemia affects over 800 million women worldwide
While as low as 50% of anaemia in sub-Saharan Africa may be attributable to iron-deficiency the proportion of anaemia caused by iron-deficiency increases to over 70% among premenopausal women in India [2, 3]
This study examines the influence of vegetarian diets on the prevalence of maternal anaemia in India
Summary
Anaemia affects over 800 million women worldwide. In India, it is classified as a major public health problem as it is estimated that 52% of nonpregnant women of reproductive age are anaemic [1]. The primary cause of anaemia is iron-deficiency, it is seldom present in isolation. More frequently it coexists with a number of other causes, such as malaria, parasitic infection, nutritional deficiencies, and haemoglobinopathies. The importance of iron-deficiency as cause of anaemia varies by region. While as low as 50% of anaemia in sub-Saharan Africa may be attributable to iron-deficiency (due to high prevalence of HIV, hookworm, malaria, and other infectious diseases) the proportion of anaemia caused by iron-deficiency increases to over 70% among premenopausal women in India [2, 3]
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