Abstract:
This research was intended to investigate: 1) the background characteristics of vegetarians; 2) the nutritive value of vegetarian dietary intake; 3) the anaemia status of vegetarians; 4) the relationships between the background characteristics of vegetarians and their anaemia status; and 5) the different comparison of vegetarian's variables between anaemic and non-anaemic vegetarians. The samples were 126 vegetarians in Santiasoke Community, Bangkok. Data were collected by means of interviewing and blood samples were withdrawn from the vegetarians for determining the hemoglobin level, hematocrit value and serum ferritin level. Statistical methods used in this study were percentage, range, mode, S.D., Chi-square, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and t test; using the computer program SPSS.It was found that most sampled vegetarians is Santiasoke Community were females, aged 21-40 years, the duration of vegetarian diets consumption were < 5 years and had normal nutritional status. The amount of energy, carbohydrate and fat intake were below the RDA but protein, iron and vitamin c intake were above the RDA level. However, the anaemic state was found 54.76 percent and there was a higher anaemic incidence among the female subject than males.According to the hypothesis testing, sex significantly affected the anaemia status at .001 level; while age, the duration of consumption and nutritional status were not. The different comparison of variables between anaemic and non-anaemic vegetarians was found that the amount of energy, vitamin c, the ration of vitamin c : iron, percentage of iron absorption, and serum ferritin were significantly difference at .05 level; while the amount of iron intake was not.