title: Choosing foods for infants: a qualitative study of the factors that influence mothers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Examining the experiences of parents making food choices for infants is important because ultimately this influences what infants eat. Infancy is a critical period when food preferences and eating behaviour begin to develop, shaping dietary patterns, growth and health outcomes. There is limited evidence regarding what or why foods are chosen for infants.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the experiences of mothers making food choices for their infant children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews with 32 Australian mothers of infants aged four to 15 months from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. An inductive thematic analysis through a process of constant comparison was conducted on transcribed interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mothers described many ideas and circumstances which influenced food choices they made for infants. Themes were developed which encapsulate how the wider environment and individual circumstances combine to result in the food choices made for infants. Beliefs, values, norms and knowledge were a central influence on choices. Cost, quality and availabilities of various foods were also key factors. Related to this, and combined with inherent factors such as perishability and infant acceptability, fresh fruits and vegetables were often singled out as an easy or difficult choice. Influences of time, parents' capacities, social connections and different information sources were clearly apparent. Finally infants' own preferences and how parents helped infants with learning to eat were also key influences on food choices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Choosing foods for infants is a complex social practice. An ecological framework depicting the multiple influences on what people eat and sociological theory on food choice regarding the role of 'social structure' and 'human agency' are both applicable to the process of choosing foods for infants. Equity issues may be key regarding the degree to which mothers can choose particular foods for infants (e.g. choosing foods which promote health).
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program. Centre for Health Equity, The Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boak
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program. Centre for Health Equity, The Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.|GP Data and Business Modelling, Western Victoria Primary Health Network, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Virgo-Milton
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program. Centre for Health Equity, The Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoare
authors.affiliation: Centre Applied Oral Health Research, Dental Health Services Victoria, Carlton, VIC, Australia.|Melbourne Dental School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Silva
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program. Centre for Health Equity, The Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.affiliation: Deakin Health Economics, Deakin Population Health SRC, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gussy
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Dental School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.|Clinical Leadership, Education and Research, Dental Health Services Victoria, Carlton, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Calache
authors.affiliation: Oral Health Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program. Centre for Health Equity, The Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Waters
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D002523:Edible Grain; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014675:Vegetables; D014739:Victoria; D014886:Weaning; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins
keywords: Australia; ecological; food choice; infant; introducing food; qualitative research methods