The first meals: Parents´ practices and perceptions regarding complementary feeding by socio-educational level in Argentina
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/tek2eq67Keywords:
Complementary feeding, Feeding practices, Social inequalitiesAbstract
The aim of this study is to characterize the practices and meanings held by mothers and fathers from different socio-educational backgrounds regarding the introduction of the first foods offered to their sons and daughters in Santa Fe (Argentina) in 2023. Methods: This is a descriptive–exploratory study with a qualitative, hermeneutic, and socio-critical approach. Interviews and questionnaires were conducted with a total of 43 mothers and fathers residing in the cities of Santa Fe and Recreo, in the province of Santa Fe. Results: There are significant fragmentations in feeding practices, which are organized around group-specific beliefs and value systems. They also show the permeability of biomedical discourse among participants from more advantaged groups, as well as the central organizing role of care networks in the most vulnerable sectors. As a limitation, the study acknowledges not having considered different gradients within sociodemographic strata. Conclusion: This work seeks to contribute elements that enable the revision of traditional approaches to early childhood feeding, given that such practices take on variations shaped by the surrounding environment and the specific social groups from which families originate.
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