Mothers adhering to a vegan diet: Feeding practices of their young children and underlying determinants - A qualitative exploration

Abstract

There are few studies on what diet mothers following a vegan diet (VD; or strict plant-based diet) choose for their children and how the child's diet is implemented in everyday life. The present study aimed to explore choices that mothers following a VD make regarding their child's diet and feeding practices, and what determines these choices. Mothers on a VD whose youngest child was <4 years old were recruited via social media or newsletters about a VD. Participants (N=28) were between 27 and 45 years old and had been adhering to a VD between 0.5 and 23 years. Online semi-structured interviews based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A hybrid thematic analysis approach was used to identify themes that emerged from the data. Mainly driven by ethical considerations of eating animal products, 21 (75%) women chose a VD for their child(ren). When the participant's partner followed a vegetarian diet (VEGD) or omnivorous diet (OMD), most women chose a VEGD (N=4) or OMD (N=3) for their child as well. Overall, women indicated to make well-considered choices regarding children's diet and related feeding practices. Determinants for the dietary choice for their children involved various motivations, attitudes, norms, facilitating/hindering factors and knowledge. In conclusion, driven mainly by ethical motivations, most women on a VD chose this diet for their children as well. Despite experiencing several hindering factors and acknowledging the potential negative effects of a VD, mothers seemed to make well-considered choices concerning their child's diet.