Objective
The study aimed to explore vegan mothers’ experiences and decision-making processes when feeding their children (up to 3 years old).
Methods
We conducted a qualitative photo-elicitation interview study in the United Kingdom. Eight vegan mothers provided 5 photographs of food choices they had made for their children and completed online photo-elicitation interviews to discuss these images. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results
Five themes were developed:
- role modelling eating behaviour,
- shared decision-making,
- nutritional guidance for vegan parents,
- fear of judgment for being vegan,
- desire for convenience.
Conclusions and Implications
Findings illustrate the complexity of the decision-making process and highlight the need for targeted resources for vegan parents. There is a need for awareness raising and training for health care professionals and the development of vegan-specific child-feeding resources to facilitate the provision of evidence-based nutritional guidance for vegan parents.
This article is republished under a Creative Commons license. Read the full research article: Exploring Vegan Mothers’ Experiences of Making Food Choices for Infants and Young Children - ScienceDirect