(P18-019-23) Factors Associated With Caregivers’ Decisions About When To Introduce Beef to Infants and Toddlers

Objectives: Infants and toddlers require dietary diversity to meet their nutrient needs. Although iron and zinc are essential nutrients for growth and development, their intake is below recommended levels in more than half of breastfed infants between 6-11 months of age in the US. The 1st Foods Study aims to identify factors associated with caregivers’ decisions about when to introduce beef, a food rich in iron and zinc, to their children.

Methods: Caregivers (N = 323, M_age = 31.1 years, 54% women) of infants and toddlers between of 6 – 24 months who had been introduced to beef were included in the analyses. They completed a survey (Qualtrics, Provo UT) that asked about dietary habits and attitudes about meat consumption, approaches to feeding their child, and their child’s feeding history and eating behaviors. We also asked about factors that influenced their decision to introduce beef. Caregivers were divided into three groups based on age of beef introduction; Early Adopters (4-6 months, n = 52), Early Majority (7-11 months, n = 151), and Late Majority (12 months or later; n = 120). Analyses of variance and chi squared tests were conducted to identify group differences.

Results: The Late Majority group breastfed longer (p  < .001) and offered solid foods later (p  < .001) than the other groups. These caregivers had a lower affinity for meat (p  < .01) and were more likely to reduce meat from their diet (p  < .01). They were also more responsive to their child’s fullness cues (p  < .01), were more restrictive feeders (p  < .01), and their children enjoyed foods less (p  < .01) and were fussier eaters (p  < .01). They were less likely to introduce beef based upon healthcare professional recommendations, (p  < .01), because their child had teeth (p  < .01) or was showing interest in eating beef (p  < .001), or because they thought beef provided important nutrients for health (p  < .001) and child development (p  < .001).

Conclusions: Caregivers vary dramatically in terms of when and why they introduce beef. Infants who are not introduced to beef before 12 months are a group of concern because they may be at risk of inadequate iron and zinc intake. Communication about offering iron- and zinc-rich foods earlier should consider the family’s dietary habits, attitudes about meat consumption, the child’s eating behavior, and food parenting practices.

Funding Sources: The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association