Abstract
BackgroundWith a recent focus on establishing US Dietary Guidance for children ages 0 to 2 years old, the objective of this qualitative study was to determine misconceptions and barriers that prevent parents from implementing early childhood feeding and obesity prevention practices as reported by healthcare, community-based, and education providers.MethodsTrained researchers conducted one-on-one qualitative phone interviews, using a semi-structured script, with early childhood health and education providers working with families of young children. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using the classic analysis approach. Transcripts were coded by researchers and analyzed for themes.ResultsProviders (n = 21) reported commonly observed obesogenic practices including overfeeding tendencies, early initiation of solids or less optimal feeding practices, lack of autonomy and self-regulation by child, and suboptimal dietary patterns. Sources of parental misconceptions about feeding were often related to cultural, familial, and media influences, or lack of knowledge about optimal feeding practices for infants or toddlers.ConclusionsProviders indicated a need for engaging and consistent child feeding and obesity prevention education materials appropriate for diverse cultural and literacy levels of parents, with detailed information on transitioning to solid foods. Early education and community-based providers reported limited access to evidence-based educational materials more so than healthcare providers. It is an opportune time to develop reputable and evidence-based child feeding guidance that is readily available and accessible for parents of infants and toddlers to prevent early childhood obesity.
Highlights
Childhood obesity is a public health concern with both short- and long-term health consequences [1, 2]
The study was approved by the University of Connecticut (UConn) Institutional Review Board (IRB) for Human Subjects, Human Research Protection Program, Protocol #H16–029 and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki
Written informed consent was waived with approval of the UConn IRB because interviews were conducted by phone
Summary
Childhood obesity is a public health concern with both short- and long-term health consequences [1, 2]. Children’s dietary behaviors are first formed during the critical ages of birth to 2 years when children are introduced to new foods and transition to an adult diet [6]. Exposure to new and healthful foods, through repeated exposure and feeding techniques, can help improve dietary behaviors [7,8,9]. Parental feeding styles and practices have been associated with children’s dietary intake and weight status [12,13,14]. With a recent focus on establishing US Dietary Guidance for children ages 0 to 2 years old, the objective of this qualitative study was to determine misconceptions and barriers that prevent parents from implementing early childhood feeding and obesity prevention practices as reported by healthcare, communitybased, and education providers
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