Vegans, strict vegetarians, partial vegetarians, omnivores: Do they differ in food choice motives, coping, and quality of life?

Abstract

Few studies have examined the differences in food choice motivations and eating disorders associated with different types of vegetarian diets (i.e., partial, strict, vegan), even though these diets are characterized by varying degrees of food selectivity. In addition, few studies have evaluated the quality of life of those following these diets, and none have assessed coping strategies in vegetarians. The objective of this study is, thus, to compare the factors influencing food choices, eating disorders, preferred coping strategies, and the quality of life of those following different vegetarian diets. The sample included 589 adults (83.4% female—mean age = 32 years), of whom 36% were omnivores, 23% were partial vegetarians, 19% were strict vegetarians, and 22% were vegans. Participants were recruited mainly through social networking and completed a self-administered questionnaire covering their sociodemographic characteristics, food choice motivations (FCQ), eating disorders (EAT-26), coping strategies (Brief COPE), and quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF). It was found that vegetarians and vegans are more motivated by ethics, health, and naturalness in their food choices, while omnivores are more motivated by familiarity and convenience. Concerning health indicators, omnivores have a higher risk of eating disorders and use potentially more dysfunctional coping strategies than vegans. Moreover, omnivores have poorer physical health than vegans. Vegans also appear to have better psychological functioning (e.g., less risk of eating disorders, better subjective physical health) than omnivores. These results underline the necessity to differentiate among vegetarians according to the continuum of dietary restrictions to deepen the understanding of the particularities of functioning and risk associated with these selective diets.