Research Article

Addressing Female Iron-Deficiency Anaemia in India: Is Vegetarianism the Major Obstacle?

Table 1

Study variables and covariates, 2005-06 Indian National Family and Health Survey of Women.

VariablesSample size = 81301 ratio (or number for “Age” and “Average number of children”)

Anaemic (moderate and severe)0.16

Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics

Age (in years)32.55
Average number of children2.77
Scheduled caste0.17
Scheduled tribe0.12
Backward tribe0.33
Other caste0.33
Caste—do not know0.04
Religion-Hindu/Sikh0.78
Religion-Muslim/Christian0.19
Religion-Jain/Buddhist0.02
Other religions0.01
BMI: severely underweight0.08
BMI: underweight0.19
BMI: normal0.55
BMI: overweight0.14
BMI: obese0.04
pregnant0.06
Working0.37
No schooling0.40
Completed Primary schooling0.16
Secondary schooling and above0.44
Spouse of household head0.65
Husband’s education—no schooling0.23
Husband’s education—completed primary schooling0.16
Husband’s education—secondary schooling and above0.61
Wealth quintile—1st (poorest)0.13
Wealth quintile—2nd0.16
Wealth quintile—3rd0.19
Wealth quintile—4th0.23
Wealth quintile—5th0.28
Piped water0.32
Rural0.58

Diet-related variables

Never consumes meat0.27
Consumes meat daily0.12
Consumes meat occasionally/weekly0.61
Never consumes green leafy vegetables/pulses0.00
Consumes green leafy vegetables/pulses daily0.77
Consumes green leafy vegetables/pulses weekly/occasionally0.23
Never consumes dairy products0.13
Consumes dairy products daily0.39
Consumes dairy products weekly/occasionally0.48
Never consumes fruit0.03
Consumes fruits daily0.16
Consumes fruit weekly/occasionally0.81