ResearchQualitative ResearchCaregiver- vs Infant-Oriented Feeding: A Model of Infant-Feeding Strategies among Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Participants in Rural East Tennessee
Section snippets
Script Development and Sampling
During the spring and summer of 2007, researchers convened focus groups consisting of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participants with infants up to 6 months of age. To facilitate these focus groups, a script with five topic areas was developed based on prior research by Heinig and colleagues (11, 20) and with additional input from experts in the field of maternal and child nutrition. The five topic areas included the age at which complementary
Results and Discussion
Thirty-one focus groups were conducted. However, only 29 were used for analysis, as two failed to record. Of the 109 participants, the vast majority were mothers, although there were some grandmothers (n=8) and fathers (n=4) who participated. Therefore, use of the term participants here refers to mothers primarily. Because of constraints from the institutional review board, no demographic data were collected from participants, aside from confirming an age of 18 years or older. However, the
Conclusions
Results of these focus groups indicate that the WIC population in rural East Tennessee is similar to populations elsewhere in terms of several infant-feeding behaviors and sources of and valuation of infant-feeding advice (11, 20, 23, 24, 26). However, this population seemed to be different in the magnitude in which they introduce infant cereal early (primarily as an addition to the bottle) (34). For this reason, interventions designed to reduce inappropriate infant-feeding behaviors in this
K. F. Kavanagh is an assistant professor, Department of Nutrition, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
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Cited by (16)
Characteristics Associated With Adding Cereal Into the Bottle Among Immigrant Mother–Infant Dyads of Low Socioeconomic Status and Hispanic Ethnicity
2017, Journal of Nutrition Education and BehaviorCitation Excerpt :The studies that did examine this practice specifically found that adding cereal into the bottle was common in low-income groups.8-10 Studies using both surveys and focus groups to assess reasons for adding cereal into the bottle found that mothers reported using this practice to help infants sleep or stay full longer, or to help their infant gain weight.8-15 Obesity-promoting feeding behaviors associated with excess infant weight include nonresponsive controlling feeding styles such as restrictive and pressuring feeding practices.11-19
Mothers’ perceptions of the influences on their child feeding practices – A qualitative study
2016, AppetiteCitation Excerpt :This highlights the complexity of factors likely to influence health related behaviours. These findings regarding influences on child feeding practices are novel, but consistent with previous research regarding other aspects of child feeding which has identified similar influences (Kavanagh, Habibi, Anderson, & Spence, 2010; Pocock, Trivedi, Wills, Bunn, & Magnusson, 2010; Synnott et al., 2007). For example, studies focussing on breastfeeding, timing of solids introduction, and choice of foods, highlight a range of influences similar to those identified in this study, namely time and convenience, family and friends, personal intuition/beliefs, internet, and other literature sources (Kavanagh et al., 2010; Synnott et al., 2007).
Infant feeding: beyond the nutritional aspects
2016, Jornal de PediatriaCitation Excerpt :In this context, the mother has a predominant role, representing the main caregiver of the child. The manner in which she cares for her child is crucial for the child's health, and is related to her educational level, the information about health received from health professionals and/or the media, social support, and her availability to fulfill the role of caregiver.2,15–18 Another factor to be considered is the adequacy of food – variety, consistency, texture, and the use of a cup and spoon, respecting the child's development.
Timing of Introduction of Complementary Foods and Beverages to Infants of Low-Income Women
2021, Breastfeeding Medicine
K. F. Kavanagh is an assistant professor, Department of Nutrition, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
M. Habibi is a graduate student, Department of Nutrition, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
M. Spence is an assistant professor (Research) and the assistant director of the Public Health Nutrition Program, Department of Nutrition, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
K. Anderson is a Peace Corps volunteer; at the time of the study, she was a graduate student, Department of Nutrition, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.