Healthy Snacks and Drinks for Toddlers: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Understanding of Expert Recommendations and Perceived Barriers to Adherence
Background. Despite expert recommendations, most toddlers consume sugary drinks and more sweet and salty snack foods than fruits and vegetables as snacks. Studies have examined toddler caregivers’ reasons for providing sugary drinks, but few have examined the reasons for providing nutritionally poor...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/4/1006 |
| _version_ | 1797618918224822272 |
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| author | Jennifer L. Harris Maria J. Romo-Palafox Haley Gershman Inna Kagan Valerie Duffy |
| author_facet | Jennifer L. Harris Maria J. Romo-Palafox Haley Gershman Inna Kagan Valerie Duffy |
| author_sort | Jennifer L. Harris |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background. Despite expert recommendations, most toddlers consume sugary drinks and more sweet and salty snack foods than fruits and vegetables as snacks. Studies have examined toddler caregivers’ reasons for providing sugary drinks, but few have examined the reasons for providing nutritionally poor snack foods. Methods. Researchers conducted focus groups in one low-income community to assess caregivers’ familiarity, understanding and attitudes regarding healthy drink and snack recommendations for toddlers. A convenience sample of 24 caregivers of toddlers (12–36 months) participated. Researchers conducted a descriptive analysis of the participants’ familiarity with recommendations and a thematic analysis of the barriers to adherence. Results. Most participants were familiar with recommendations, but many were surprised that some drinks and snack foods are not recommended, and most believed recommendations were not realistic. Common barriers to adhering to recommendations included beliefs about their child’s innate preferences, family modeling and others’ provision of drinks and snacks in and outside the home. Practical barriers included the higher cost and inconvenience of serving fruits and vegetables on-the-go. Conclusion. Similar barriers limited caregivers’ adherence to expert recommendations about healthy snacks and drinks for toddlers. Nutrition education interventions should provide practical strategies for addressing these barriers and enlist childcare and health providers to reinforce recommendations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:19:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e7edbdfc4e584f8788c82298929ab209 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:19:23Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-e7edbdfc4e584f8788c82298929ab2092023-11-16T22:31:57ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432023-02-01154100610.3390/nu15041006Healthy Snacks and Drinks for Toddlers: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Understanding of Expert Recommendations and Perceived Barriers to AdherenceJennifer L. Harris0Maria J. Romo-Palafox1Haley Gershman2Inna Kagan3Valerie Duffy4Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT 06103, USANutrition and Dietetics, Doisy College of Health Sciences, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63104, USARudd Center for Food Policy & Health, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT 06103, USADepartment of Allied Health Sciences, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USADepartment of Allied Health Sciences, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USABackground. Despite expert recommendations, most toddlers consume sugary drinks and more sweet and salty snack foods than fruits and vegetables as snacks. Studies have examined toddler caregivers’ reasons for providing sugary drinks, but few have examined the reasons for providing nutritionally poor snack foods. Methods. Researchers conducted focus groups in one low-income community to assess caregivers’ familiarity, understanding and attitudes regarding healthy drink and snack recommendations for toddlers. A convenience sample of 24 caregivers of toddlers (12–36 months) participated. Researchers conducted a descriptive analysis of the participants’ familiarity with recommendations and a thematic analysis of the barriers to adherence. Results. Most participants were familiar with recommendations, but many were surprised that some drinks and snack foods are not recommended, and most believed recommendations were not realistic. Common barriers to adhering to recommendations included beliefs about their child’s innate preferences, family modeling and others’ provision of drinks and snacks in and outside the home. Practical barriers included the higher cost and inconvenience of serving fruits and vegetables on-the-go. Conclusion. Similar barriers limited caregivers’ adherence to expert recommendations about healthy snacks and drinks for toddlers. Nutrition education interventions should provide practical strategies for addressing these barriers and enlist childcare and health providers to reinforce recommendations.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/4/1006food parentingtoddlershealthy snackingsweet and salty snacksugar-sweetened beveragesnutrition education |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer L. Harris Maria J. Romo-Palafox Haley Gershman Inna Kagan Valerie Duffy Healthy Snacks and Drinks for Toddlers: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Understanding of Expert Recommendations and Perceived Barriers to Adherence Nutrients food parenting toddlers healthy snacking sweet and salty snack sugar-sweetened beverages nutrition education |
| title | Healthy Snacks and Drinks for Toddlers: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Understanding of Expert Recommendations and Perceived Barriers to Adherence |
| title_full | Healthy Snacks and Drinks for Toddlers: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Understanding of Expert Recommendations and Perceived Barriers to Adherence |
| title_fullStr | Healthy Snacks and Drinks for Toddlers: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Understanding of Expert Recommendations and Perceived Barriers to Adherence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Healthy Snacks and Drinks for Toddlers: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Understanding of Expert Recommendations and Perceived Barriers to Adherence |
| title_short | Healthy Snacks and Drinks for Toddlers: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Understanding of Expert Recommendations and Perceived Barriers to Adherence |
| title_sort | healthy snacks and drinks for toddlers a qualitative study of caregivers understanding of expert recommendations and perceived barriers to adherence |
| topic | food parenting toddlers healthy snacking sweet and salty snack sugar-sweetened beverages nutrition education |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/4/1006 |
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