MATERNAL BELIEFS IN FOOD PRACTICE

The objective of this research was to analyze the perceptions and attitudes of mothers regarding the feeding practices adopted for themselves and their children in the first years of life, as well as the maternal and family characteristics that may be associated with these perceptions and attitudes. To this end, two scientific studies were developed. The first aimed to analyze the maternal perception about the feeding practices adopted for herself and her child in the first years of life, as well as the possible maternal and family characteristics involved in these perceptions. The second was to identify the types of strategies used by mothers of children aged 2 to 3 years to stimulate/ensure their food intake, as well as their perception of these behaviors, and to investigate maternal and family characteristics that may be associated with the different types of strategies employed by mothers. The findings of the present thesis are derived from a larger study, which had a conglomerate randomized field trial design.