Food & Nutrition

Arab Journal of Food & Nutrition
78. Dietary and Anthropometric Evaluation of a Sample of Vegetarians in Jordan
(2005)
Afia’a Mohammad Al Masri\ University of Jordan
Supervisor: Dr. Mousa Numan Ahmad
This study was carried out between August 2004 and March 2005, to assess the
dietary and anthropometric status of a random sample of self-described vegetarians in
Jordan, and to know the reasons and perceptions about vegetarian diets. A three-day
weighed food record was used for dietary assessment. Weight, height, skinfold
thicknesses, waist and hip circumferences and their indices were measured for the
purpose of anthropometric evaluation. The sample contained 100 self-described
vegetarians, 51 females and 49 males, aged between 18 and 59 years. After their
dietary intakes were analyzed, they were categorized into different dietary patterns:
infrequent meat eaters (n=10), semivegetarians (n=20), pollovegetarians (n=20),
lactoovovegetarians (n= 38), and vegans (n=12).
Compared to other vegetarian dietary patterns in the study, infrequent meat eaters
were higher in body mass index (BMI) (25.4±0.8 Kg/m2), waist to hip ratio (WHR)
(0.84±0.02), triceps (17.9±1.8 mm) and subscapular (18.5±1.6 mm) skinfold
thicknesses, percent body fat (%BF) (21.8±1.6%), and lean body mass (LBM)
(60.0±2.2 Kg) measures, vegans had the least body weight (65.9±2.8 Kg), height
(168.7±2.1 cm), WHR (0.79±0.02), and LBM (54.1±2.6 Kg) measures, and
semivegetarians had the least triceps (12.4±1.3 mm) and subscapular (12.5±1.2 mm)
skinfold thicknesses, and %BF (10.7±1.4 %) measures. Infrequent meat eaters were
considered overweight according to %BF values.
As a percentage from total calorie intake, protein and animal protein intakes were
significantly higher in pollovegetarians, being 16.0±0.7 % and 7.5±0.8% respectively
(p