Grow well/Crecer bien: a protocol for research on infant feeding practices in low-income families

Ann M Cheney,Esmirna Valencia,Tanya Nieri,Gretel Garcia,Michael Castillo,Alison Tovar,Lucero Vaca,Arlene Molina,Ana Ramirez Zarate,Colleen Versteeg

doi:10.1186/s12889-020-09471-1

Abstract

BackgroundThe prevalence of obesity among children remains high. Given obesity’s significant lifelong consequences, there is great interest in preventing obesity early in life. There is a need to better understand the relation of common infant feeding styles and practices to obesity in infants using longitudinal study designs. There is also an urgent need to understand the role of caregivers other than mothers in feeding. A better understanding of variation in feeding styles and practices can inform the identification of risk groups and the tailoring of interventions to them.MethodsIn partnership with Early Head Start programs across four counties in southern California, mothers and infants will be enrolled in a two-year longitudinal study collecting survey and anthropometric data. A subsample of mothers and their selected other caregivers will participate in qualitative research involving feeding diaries and dyadic interviews. The results will be used to develop and test an enhanced nutrition education program.DiscussionWe outline a study methodology to examine feeding styles and practices and their association with early childhood obesity risk and enhance an existing intervention to promote healthy infant feeding and growth among children in low-income families.

Highlights

The prevalence of obesity among children remains high
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding as the optimal form of infant nutrition for the first 6 months and continued supplemental breastfeeding for 1 year
We developed the Grow Well/ Crecer Bien project, a five-year community based participatory research (CBPR) study that is engaging Early Head Start (EHS) program leadership, staff, and families in the enhancement of existing nutrition education aimed to promote healthy infant feeding practices in the context of lowincome families

Summary

Introduction

The prevalence of obesity among children remains high. Given obesity’s significant lifelong consequences, there is great interest in preventing obesity early in life. There is a need to better understand the relation of common infant feeding styles and practices to obesity in infants using longitudinal study designs. A better understanding of variation in feeding styles and practices can inform the identification of risk groups and the tailoring of interventions to them. Toddlers, and preschool children in the United States (US) has doubled from the 1970s to the twenty-first century [1, 2]. Starting at 9 months, they recommend three nutrient-dense meals and two or three small nutrient-dense snacks per day. Despite these guidelines racial/ethnic minority infants consume too many energy-dense foods and insufficient fruits and vegetables.

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