Beliefs about feeding practices and obesity among mothers with children under 5 years of age in northwestern Mexico

Introduction: There is a worldwide trend of increasing rates of overweight and obesity in children under 5 years of age. Mothers' beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes towards feeding practices and obesity have direct implications on their children's health. Aim: To explore beliefs about feeding practices and childhood obesity among mothers with children under five years of age in northwestern Mexico. Methodology: Qualitative study with ethnographic approach. Using purposive sampling, nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with women with an average of 12 years of education. Results: Beliefs included insecurity in assuming the role of mother, a low perception of family support, and beliefs that were not aligned with the recommendations of exclusive breastfeeding and introduction of complementary foods. In addition, these held the belief that obesity is not a problem due to the young age of their children. Conclusions: There is ambivalence between the participants' beliefs and their practices regarding feeding and childhood obesity. It is imperative to develop education and communication strategies that provide evidence-based information that is easily accessible and available to mothers to prevent nutrition problems during early childhood.