Information behavior and risk awareness regarding nutrient deficiencies among parents of children with a vegan or...

To examine parents' perspectives on managing their children's vegan or vegetarian diets, with particular attention to how they access information about these diets, assess nutrient-related risks, and approach blood testing, as well as their use of dietary supplements.

A mixed-method study was conducted in an explanatory, sequential design. The quantitative phase utilized data from the VeChi Diet Study, including parents of 275 vegan and vegetarian children aged 1 to 3 y. The questionnaire focused on their information-seeking behavior and the dietary supplementation of their vegan or vegetarian children. In the qualitative phase, a purposive subsample of 10 mothers was selected for in-depth interviews to explore parental practices in more detail.

Parents of children adhering to a vegan (98.8%) or vegetarian (92.8%) diet reported educating themselves about the scientific evidence related to these dietary patterns. The primary sources of information for parents with vegan or vegetarian children were interest groups (92.1%, 72.1%), animal welfare/rights organizations (67.1%, 37.8%), specialist literature (68.9%, 54.1%), and internet sources (61.0%, 60.4%). Nearly all vegan children (97.6%) were given dietary supplements, whereas this applied to only 56.8% of vegetarian children. The majority of mothers of vegan children were highly conscientious and routinely monitored their children's blood parameters. They reported mixed experiences with pediatricians, whose views on vegan diets vary.

Parents raising vegan or vegetarian children reported actively seeking nutritional information, variation in supplementation practices and mixed experiences with healthcare providers. This underscores the need for consistent, evidence-based guidance and structured monitoring.