Abstract
The aim of this project was to collect data from focus-group participants to inform
the future development of region-specific educational strategies to modify infant-feeding
practices that may predispose children to obesity. Infant-feeding perceptions and
practices were collected from participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program
for Women, Infants, and Children, through recorded focus groups, in two East Tennessee
counties. Focus groups replaced the participants' required, prescheduled nutrition-education
classes for participants with infants younger than 6 months of age. Twenty-nine focus
groups were convened and recorded, reaching a total of 109 participants. Results of
this series of focus groups indicate that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program
for Women, Infants, and Children population in rural East Tennessee was similar to
populations elsewhere in terms of early solid-food introduction, frequent switching
of formula, and sources of and valuation of infant-feeding advice. However, this population
seemed to be different in the magnitude at which they introduce infant cereal early
(primarily as an addition to the bottle). For this reason, interventions designed
to reduce inappropriate infant-feeding behaviors in this population should focus on
early introduction of solid food (especially infant cereal) first. In addition to
these findings, a model of infant-feeding strategy development based on caregiver-orientation
(framed within parenting styles) is presented and discussed.
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Biography
K. F. Kavanagh is an assistant professor, Department of Nutrition, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Biography
M. Habibi is a graduate student, Department of Nutrition, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Biography
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.
Biography
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.
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
May 4,
2010
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
