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Abstract
As part of an update of feeding benchmarks targeting children aged 0-3 years, this study aimed to explore parental perceptions, information-seeking practices and needs concerning infant and young child feeding (IYCF) to design an efficient communication strategy. Participants were recruited using the quota sampling to complete an online survey. Effects of parity, child age, prematurity, parental education and financial situation on parents' responses were evaluated separately. France. A nationally representative sample of 1001 parents of children <4 years. Parents whose child had any medical condition affecting feeding (children with medical condition (CMC), 17 %) were considered separately from healthy children's parents. All the healthy children's parents recognised the importance of IYCF for children's health and growth; however, one-third considered the available advice contradictory and not guilt-free. The most used information sources were healthcare professionals (HCP, 81 %), internet (72 %) and parental networks (63 %). The most influential sources (mean influence ± sd) included HCP (7·7 ± 1·7/10), childcare professionals (7·3 ± 1·8/10) and parental networks (6·9 ± 1·8/10). Parents searched for practical tips for implementing IYCF starting when their child was 5 months old. Differences regarding the type of source used by parents with higher v. lower educations were small. Search strategies differed according to parity or child age but not to prematurity. The CMC parents reported slightly different practices and needs. Parents receive information from multiple sources, which can lead to confusion when deciding which advice to follow. A public health communication strategy adapted to the current parental needs should target these various sources.
Highlights
Parents receive information from multiple sources, which can lead to confusion when deciding which advice to follow
During the first 1000 d of the life of a child, individual dietary patterns develop rapidly, and they can impact risk factors for later-life obesity and health in general. This period constitutes a perfect window of opportunity to implement health-related programmes that promote healthy eating and growth in young children[1,2,3]
complementary feeding (CoF) is the period in the life of a child when foods other than milk start to be introduced into the diet[7]; this is a dietary transition that typically covers the first years of life
Summary
Study design, setting and sampling procedureThe present descriptive study was conducted in France in the form of an online survey that was open for completion from the 10th to the 29th of January 2020. The recruitment procedure was managed by a private research and consulting firm, by applying the quota sampling method. This method is a non-probabilistic sampling approach that employs purposeful selection criteria to include the participants. We targeted a representative sample of 1000 French parents of children < 4 years old Those parents were the first respondents presenting the required characteristics to answer the questionnaire. The sample size of 1000 was defined a priori, and it was considered sufficient to represent our population of interest according to previous surveys conducted by the private research and consulting firm with the same sampling method on similar subgroups of the population
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