Effects of dairy intake on anthropometric failure in children ages 6 to 23 mo consuming vegetarian diets and fulfilling minimum dietary diversity in India.

OBJECTIVES

In India, although nutritional conditions have improved, a high prevalence of anthropometric failure is still reported in children. Unfortunately, there are knowledge gaps surrounding nutrient and anthropometric shortcomings as well as dietary patterns. More than half of children are consuming a vegetarian diet. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary adequacy levels on anthropometric failure in 5772 vegetarian children (ages 6-23 mo) satisfying minimum dietary diversity.

METHODS

Data were collected from the National Family Health Survey 2015-16. We created three food combinations: maximum adequacy (dairy and four food groups), medium adequacy (dairy and three food groups), and minimum adequacy (four food groups excluding dairy). We calculated odds ratios (ORs) for the association between dietary adequacy levels and anthropometric failures with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using logistic regression models. The modification effect of breastfeeding status was also explored.

RESULTS

Approximately 35% of children had stunted growth. ORs showed a significant increase in the risk of anthropometric failure, notably wasting, and underweight in children with minimum-adequacy diets (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.15-1.86) compared with children with maximum-adequacy diets. Those associations were more pronounced among children who were not breastfed (OR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.19-5.00) than among children who were (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.04-1.74; P value for the interaction = 0.07). Similar associations were observed for wasting among children who were not breastfed (OR, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.34-5.95) and who were breastfed(OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.85-1.5; P value for the interaction = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Dairy is an essential source of nutrients that are required for healthy growth and development in children younger than 2 y, even if they satisfy minimum dietary diversity conditions in India.