Introduction: Vegetarian diet is one of the most consistent diets which has shown long-term health benefits. According to a nationwide survey of adults 18+, 4% of Americans were vegetarians. The dissertation was divided into 3 separate studies and assessed the effect of vegetarian diet in the association between (Study1) childhood ADHD symptoms and young adult weight status; (Study 2) health behaviors and depression in young adults; (Study 3) comparison of weight perception and weight control strategies among vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Methods: The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) dataset is a national dataset spanning decades and data collected in 5 phases. All 3 studies used a cross sectional design with phase 3 data. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, version 28. Results: In Study 1, adding vegetarian status saw an 18.5% change in beta slope and statistical significance for ADHD symptoms influencing weight gain (10.098 to 11.969; p=0.031), suggesting vegetarian diet as a confounder. In study 2, there was no difference between vegetarians and non-vegetarians in smoking or drinking (OR: .928; CI: .661-1.303; p>.05). Vegetarians were less sedentary and more physically active (p<.001 for both), and depressive symptoms were similar for both groups (1.39 and 1.40; p=.381). In Study 3, there was no difference between weight status with or without covariates (OR: .787;CI: .573-1.080) and (OR.786; CI: .572-1.080). Adjusting for covariates, vegetarians were more likely to be “obese” (OR: 1.202; CI: .828-1.743) and less likely to be “overweight” (OR: .887; CI: .588-1.338), compared to “underweight/normal” weight. Adjusting for physical activity and sedentary status, vegetarians perceived themselves as less “overweight” (OR:.802: CI: .585-1.100) and were more likely to use weight loss strategies (OR 1.414; CI: 1.030-1.928). Conclusion: The study findings will help better understand the mental, physical, behavioral, and cognitive outcomes associated with vegetarian status. As vegetarianism has shown many long-term health benefits, further research in this area will help expand understanding of this specific dietary pattern.
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