Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Aug 10;14(16):3268.
doi: 10.3390/nu14163268.

A Qualitative Analysis of a Caregivers' Experience of Complementary Feeding in a Population of Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander and Filipino Infants: The Timing of the Introduction of Complementary Foods, and the Role of Transgenerational Experience

Kara Mulville  1   2 , Jessie Kai  3 , John M Kearney  1 , Jacqueline Ng-Osorio  4 , Carol J Boushey  5 , Marie K Fialkowski  3
Affiliations

A Qualitative Analysis of a Caregivers' Experience of Complementary Feeding in a Population of Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander and Filipino Infants: The Timing of the Introduction of Complementary Foods, and the Role of Transgenerational Experience

Kara Mulville et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate caregivers’ experiences of complementary feeding (CF) among the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHPI), and Filipino populations. Research focused on the timing of CF commencement, and the influence of transgenerational experience on feeding practices. The experiences and practices of those who fed human milk exclusively (HME), were compared to those who included infant formula (F&HM). Caregivers of a subset of 32 infants who were participating in a larger longitudinal study relating to CF and diet diversity, took part in voluntary in-depth interviews relating to CF practices. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Two researchers analyzed interview transcripts. Interrater reliability and saturation were established. Institutional Review Board exemption was confirmed prior to study commencement. Interviews with 29 caregivers of infants were included in this study. Only infants of the F&HM group had an early introduction to complementary foods (<4 months of age). Caregivers reported receiving conflicting advice from healthcare professionals (HCPs) in relation to timing of the introduction of complementary foods. Nonetheless, the majority of caregivers reported following the advice of HCPs. Extended family (including grandparents) played less of a role in infant feeding, compared to previous generations. While transgenerational practices were valued and included, ultimately, the perceived health and safety of the practice for infants influenced decisions.

Keywords: Filipino; Native Hawaiian; Other Pacific Islander; complementary feeding; infants; timing; transgenerational experience.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

References

    1. Dewey K.G. Nutrition, growth, and complementary feeding of the breastfed infant. Pediatric Clin. N. Am. 2001;48:87–104. doi: 10.1016/S0031-3955(05)70287-X. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fewtrell M., Bronsky J., Campoy C., Domellöf M., Embleton N., Fidler Mis N., Hojsak I., Hulst J.M., Indrio F., Lapillonne A., et al. Complementary Feeding: A Position Paper by the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) Committee on Nutrition. J. Pediatric Gastroenterol. Nutr. 2017;64:119–132. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000001454. - DOI - PubMed
    1. EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens) Castenmiller J., de Henauw S., Hirsch-Ernst K.-I., Kearney J., Knutsen H.K., Maciuk A., Mangelsdorf I., McArdle H.J., Naska A., et al. Scientific Opinion on the appropriate age range for introduction of complementary feeding into an infant’s diet. EFSA J. 2019;17:e05780. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Were F.N., Lifschitz C. Complementary Feeding: Beyond Nutrition. Ann. Nutr. Metab. 2018;73((Suppl. S1)):20–25. doi: 10.1159/000490084. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Anderson A.S., Guthrie C.A., Alder E.M., Forsyth S., Howie P.W., Williams F.L. Rattling the plate—Reasons and rationales for early weaning. Health Educ. Res. 2001;16:471–479. doi: 10.1093/her/16.4.471. - DOI - PubMed