A Qualitative Exploration of the Experience of Child Feeding Among Ukrainian Refugee and Immigrant Mothers During Escape and Relocation

Abstract

With the continued armed conflict impacting Ukrainian families, it is important to understand the influence of escape, displacement, and relocation on the disruption to daily life, particularly on young child feeding. A phenomenological study explored 16 refugee mothers' experiences and perceptions of feeding young children since the onset of the conflict and following relocation to America or Israel. Four themes were identified from the narratives: culturally-based perceptions of young child nutrition; breastfeeding during the conflict and relocation; challenges with accessing nutritious food during the conflict and relocation; and food adaptation on relocation. These findings deepen our understanding of the impact of culture on child-feeding beliefs and practices and can be used to develop a population-focused approach to formulate recommendations for health professionals in providing culturally relevant feeding education and support for refugee mothers and their children.