Responsive feeding is a reciprocal process between caregiver and child that is primarily child-led. It is linked to the development of positive eating behaviors and food preferences. There is evidence that household chaos, family dynamics, the quality of mealtime routines, financial hardship, and food insecurity can impact the feeding relationship. This study explored factors influencing feeding experiences among Australian parents with young children experiencing financial hardship, including household chaos and food insecurity. This qualitative semi-structured interview study was conducted as a component of a larger research program to design and evaluate a parent program to support responsive feeding practices in Australian families experiencing financial hardship and food insecurity. Participants were caregivers of a child aged 6 months to 3 years (n = 29), living in Australia, who self-identified as experiencing financial hardship. Interviews were conducted in person and via telephone between August 2021 and January 2022. Transcripts were analyzed using the Framework Method of thematic analysis. Five key themes were generated: family tensions heightened through hardship, making tradeoffs and sacrifices, the unseen mental load, the inescapable impact of COVID-19, and resiliency and being creative. Despite facing multiple hardships and challenges with feeding the family, parents demonstrated resilience and capabilities through creative food resource management and organizational skills. Parents experienced a high mental load through the cognitive and emotional work of planning, adapting, anticipating, and caring for the family’s needs through meals and child feeding. Programs to support child feeding need to consider the high mental load families with food insecurity experience and how this can impact parents’ capacity. Program content should be contextually sensitive to the experience of food insecurity and consider the constraints inherent in families and communities while building on capabilities and strengths.

中文翻译：

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澳大利亚幼儿家长的粮食不安全和喂养经历：一项探索性定性研究

响应性喂养是看护者和儿童之间主要由儿童主导的交互过程。它与积极饮食行为和食物偏好的发展有关。有证据表明，家庭混乱、家庭动态、进餐习惯的质量、经济困难和粮食不安全都会影响喂养关系。这项研究探讨了影响有经济困难幼儿的澳大利亚父母喂养经历的因素，包括家庭混乱和粮食不安全。这项定性半结构化访谈研究是一项更大的研究计划的一部分，旨在设计和评估家长计划，以支持经历经济困难和粮食不安全的澳大利亚家庭的响应式喂养做法。参与者是居住在澳大利亚的 6 个月至 3 岁儿童 (n = 29) 的看护人，他们自称经历了经济困难。 2021 年 8 月至 2022 年 1 月期间，通过面对面和电话的方式进行了采访。使用主题分析的框架方法对笔录进行了分析。产生了五个关键主题：因困难而加剧的家庭紧张关系、权衡和牺牲、看不见的精神负担、COVID-19 不可避免的影响，以及韧性和创造力。尽管在养家糊口方面面临多重困难和挑战，父母们通过创造性的食物资源管理和组织技能表现出了韧性和能力。通过膳食和儿童喂养来规划、适应、预测和照顾家庭需求的认知和情感工作，父母经历了很高的精神负担。支持儿童喂养的计划需要考虑有粮食不安全经历的高精神负担家庭以及这如何影响父母的能力。计划内容应根据具体情况对粮食不安全的经历敏感，并在发挥能力和优势的同时考虑家庭和社区固有的限制。