Use of portion size guidance by first-time parents of 1–2-year-olds in the UK: a qualitative study exploring practices and awareness

Abstract

BackgroundPortion size guidance resources for parents feeding preschool children (aged 1–5 years) have been disseminated online in the UK to increase awareness of age-appropriate food consumption. However, little is known about the reach of these resources to parents. The aim of this study was to explore parental awareness of and opinions on portion size guidance resources and current parental portioning practices. MethodsWe conducted 27 online semi-structured interviews with first-time parents of 1–2-year-olds in the UK. Ethical approval and informed consent were obtained for interviews, which were recorded and transcribed. During the interviews, parents were shown images of six portion size guidance resources to facilitate discussion. Data was analysed in NVivo 11 using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. FindingsA total of 27 first-time parents were interviewed. Most were women (25 [93%]), White (18 [67%]), and educated to a first or degree level or higher (24 [89%]). Parents did not recognise the portion size guidance resources. Parents liked resources that were short, concise, used bold colours and images of food portions, and were available in accessible formats. Parents were often more concerned about their child eating enough than their child eating too much. Parents expressed a preference for the portions served to be led by their child's appetite than by guidance recommendations. First-time parents used dishware and package size (physical indicators of portion size) and experience from previous feeding occasions to decide portion size, rather than following guidance recommendations. Parents used various feeding practices, from encouraging self-regulation of intake to restriction of foods, to guide their child's consumption. These practices were influenced by the food type, child appetite and hunger, and parental concerns about feeding. InterpretationIn this study involving mostly highly educated, computer-literate parents, portion size guidance resources available online were not found to have been effectively disseminated, and might not be the most effective strategy to promote age-appropriate portion sizes. Future research should focus on promoting age-appropriate portions and healthy weight gain through the use of dishware and packaging, which aligns with parents' current portioning practices. FundingNational Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research (grant reference PD-SPH-2015).