Meanings that mothers of obese children attribute to eating habits: grounded theory.
Azucena Lizalde Hernández, María Mercedes Moreno González, Juliana Graciela Vestena Zillmer and 2 others
PMID 40354658WHAT IT FOUND
Mothers of obese children described feeding as love, guilt relief, and work compromise.
They gave sweets to stop crying, relied on caregivers, and felt unable to control meals.
Key findings
01Mothers said they gave children sweets or favorite foods to stop crying and show love, even while recognizing it was unhealthy.
02Work and delegating care to family caregivers made mothers feel uncertain about what children ate and difficult to control meal timing.
03Mothers' food choices were shaped by husband's preferences and their own past body or emotional experiences.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included only 14 mothers in one Mexican city, so themes may not transfer to other families. Fathers, children, and other caregivers were not interviewed, although their roles emerged as important. No child weight, diet, health, or intervention outcomes were measured, so the study cannot show whether these meanings cause obesity or whether changing them improves health. School calendar and institutional suspensions interrupted data collection, which may have affected follow-up.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that maternal guilt, work, or caregivers caused child obesity. This was a qualitative study of 14 mothers and tested no outcomes.