Navigating Infant Feeding in the Context of Household Food Insecurity: A Qualitative Study of New Zealand Mothers

Abstract

Background:

Household food insecurity is a major public health concern that disproportionately burdens mothers. Infants may be especially vulnerable to its negative impacts, given the central role mothers play in their feeding. Mothers’ insights on infant complementary feeding while experiencing household food insecurity are needed to expand on previous research focused on breastfeeding.

Objective:

The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of New Zealand mothers introducing complementary foods to their infants in the context of household food insecurity.

Design:

This qualitative study involved in-person, semi-structured interviews (conducted in 2022) with participants from the First Foods New Zealand study (conducted in 2020-2022), focusing on mothers’ infant feeding experiences and particularly complementary feeding.

Participants/setting:

Participants were mothers (n = 15) living in Dunedin (New Zealand) who had been identified as experiencing moderate or severe household food insecurity when their infant was aged 7 to 10 months.

Analysis:

Thematic analysis of transcripts was performed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach.

Results:

Three main themes and 1 subtheme were generated: (1) Food purchasing strategies were used to stretch money; (2) the infant's nutrition was prioritized (subtheme: breast milk was perceived to support the infant's nutrition); and (3) support was appreciated, but seeking money or food often brought a sense of shame and disempowerment.

Conclusions:

Mothers prioritized feeding their infants by stretching limited resources, compromising their own diets, and seeking support despite considerable challenges. Their determination and skill in feeding their infants nutritiously highlight the extensive labor involved in infant feeding and food provision in the context of household food insecurity. However, these efforts also contributed to ongoing cognitive and emotional strain for the mothers themselves.