Vegetarianism and meat consumption: A comparison of attitudes and beliefs between vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, and omnivorous subjects in Belgium.

High levels of meat consumption in Belgium may be contributing to increased risk of non-communicable diseases in this population. The objective of this study is to investigate the attitudes and beliefs about vegetarianism and meat consumption among the Belgian population, ultimately to better understand the motivations underlying these dietary behaviours. This cross-sectional study was initiated in March 2011. A total of 2436 individuals from a representative consumer panel from the Flemish and Brussels communities participated. The study sample was evenly distributed by education level and sex (1238 men and 1198 women). An online questionnaire with multiple-choice questions about vegetarianism and meat consumption was completed by all participants. Although representative of the prevalence of vegetarians in the population, the number of vegetarians in the study was low (n = 38); the number of semi-vegetarians (n = 288) and omnivores was high (n = 2031). Vegetarians were more likely than semi-vegetarians to agree that meat production is bad for the environment and that meat consumption is unhealthy. Important reasons for not being vegetarian included lack of interest and awareness, taste, and limited cooking skills. Encouragingly, health and discovering new tastes were seen as the most important motives for considering eating a more vegetarian-based diet. The results of this study highlight the motivations that can be used for encouraging the general public to reduce their meat consumption in favour of a plant-rich diet, and will help to inform more targeted health campaigns for reducing meat consumption in Belgium.

Hunting, Food Preparation, and Consumption of Rodents in Lao PDR.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 29 villages of Khamkeuth District in Bolikhamxay Province in the Lao PDR during March to May 2013. The study aimed to determine the characteristics associated with rodent consumption and related behaviors among different ethnic groups, ages, and genders. Five-hundred-eighty-four (584) males and females from 18-50 years of age participated in this study. Half of them were Hmong (292, 50%) while 152 respondents were Lao-Tai (26%) or other ethnic groups (140, 24%). Most of the respondents (79.5%) had farming as their main occupation. Prevalences of the studied outcomes were high: 39.9 for hunting or capturing rodents in the previous year, 77.7% for preparing rodents as food, and 86.3% for rodent consumption. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that likelihood of these types of rodent contact was more consistently associated with behavioral factors (gathering things from the forest and elsewhere, cultivation-related activities, and taking measures to prevent rodent-borne disease) than with socio-demographic, environmental, or cultural factors. The strongest associations were observed for gathering things; these associations were consistently positive and statistically significant. Although this study did not directly assess rodent-borne zoonosis risk, we believe that study findings raise concern that such risk may be substantial in the study area and other similar areas. Further epidemiological studies on the association between rodent-borne disease infection and rodent hunting, preparation for food, and consumption are recommended. Moreover, further studies are needed on the association between these potential exposure factors (i.e., rodent hunting, preparation for food, and consumption) and rodent-borne infections, especially among ethnic groups like the Hmong in Lao PDR and those in neighboring countries with similar socio-demographic, environmental, behavioral and cultural contexts.