Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023 Nov;123(11):1568-1577.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2023.06.281. Epub 2023 Jun 21.
Toddler milk products are ultraprocessed milk-based beverages promoted for children aged 9 through 36 months. They often contain added sugars, which may contribute to unhealthy dietary habits. Aggressive promotion of toddler milk, particularly to the Latinx population, has likely led to rapid rises in sales.
The study aims were to qualitatively explore caregivers' experiences with, beliefs about, and attitudes toward toddler milk; to explore caregivers' reactions to health claims and product warnings on toddler milk packaging; and explore whether perceptions of toddler milk differ by Latinx ethnicity.
Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted.
Fifteen online in-depth interviews and 4 online focus groups with US caregivers of children aged 9 through 36 months who reported serving toddler milk to their children were conducted in 2021.
Audio files were transcribed, coded, and analyzed in NVivo. A thematic analysis with a hybrid analytical approach of deductive and inductive coding was conducted.
Caregivers struggled to discern toddler milk from infant formula and perceived formula as a larger term that included toddler milk. Participants described offering toddler milk to their children for its convenience, nutritional profile, and perceived benefits tied to health claims present on the labels. Participants reported that health claims on toddler milk packaging attracted their attention; most participants did not express skepticism about the veracity of the claims. An "added sugar" warning increased understanding of the presence of added sugar in a toddler milk product. Latinx and non-Latinx participants largely reported similar perceptions, beliefs, and patterns of provision of toddler milk.
Health claims may lead caregivers to perceive toddler milk as a nutritionally adequate product. Research is needed to investigate caregiver-directed interventions for informing caregivers about the distinction between infant formula and toddler milk.
幼儿牛奶制品是一种超加工的牛奶基饮料，适合 9 至 36 个月大的儿童饮用。它们通常含有添加糖，可能导致不健康的饮食习惯。对幼儿牛奶的大力推广，特别是针对拉丁裔人群，可能导致销售量的迅速增长。
本研究旨在定性探讨照顾者对幼儿牛奶的体验、信念和态度；探讨照顾者对幼儿牛奶包装上的健康声明和产品警告的反应；并探讨对幼儿牛奶的看法是否因拉丁裔种族而有所不同。
进行了焦点小组讨论和深入访谈。
2021 年，对美国 9 至 36 个月大儿童的照顾者进行了 15 次在线深入访谈和 4 次在线焦点小组讨论，这些儿童的父母报告说给孩子喂了幼儿牛奶。
将音频文件转录、编码并在 NVivo 中进行分析。采用演绎和归纳相结合的混合分析方法进行主题分析。
照顾者难以将幼儿牛奶与婴儿配方奶粉区分开来，并将配方奶粉视为一个更大的术语，其中包括幼儿牛奶。参与者描述了为孩子提供幼儿牛奶的便利性、营养成分以及标签上存在的健康声明所带来的益处。参与者报告说，幼儿牛奶包装上的健康声明引起了他们的注意；大多数参与者对声明的真实性并不表示怀疑。“添加糖”警告增加了对幼儿牛奶产品中添加糖的认识。拉丁裔和非拉丁裔参与者主要报告了类似的看法、信念和提供幼儿牛奶的模式。
健康声明可能导致照顾者将幼儿牛奶视为营养充足的产品。需要研究针对照顾者的干预措施，以告知他们婴儿配方奶粉和幼儿牛奶之间的区别。
