Percepciones sobre el concepto de lo saludable en madres de clases populares: tensiones durante la alimentación complementaria

The high levels of child obesity detected in Chile can be explained in part as a result of the population’s low response to healthy food public education programs, with the most affected being socially disadvantaged social segments. A relevant focus of research in this sense is the period when the infant is introduced to solid food, given that the eating habits acquired then can remain over the course of the individual’s lifespan. This study’s key objective is to investigate mothers’ perceptions with regard to healthy food habits during the period of complementary feeding and how they transmit such views. The study applies qualitative research methods to the exploration of the narratives of mothers from the working-class suburb of Peñalolén in Santiago, Chile. Theme analysis was applied to the compiled data in order to identify categories of knowledge about healthy habits. One of the key findings is that mothers possess knowledge about this concept that matches the information disseminated by public institutions. They also express awareness that the notion of healthy eating sometimes conflicts with social situations and cultural traditions, which requires negotiation and decision-making on their part, often having to privilege one or the other. Relevant conclusions of the study include the idea that mothers, as the principal transmitters of healthy eating habits, often must choose between paid work or their children’s feeding while negotiating the application of healthy eating values in relation to their social milieu. As a result, public policy that seeks to stimulate healthy eating habits must give appropriate consideration to categories of social differences such as gender, particularly in socially disadvantaged populations.