Caregiver perceptions of complementary feeding in rural and urban Indonesia: A qualitative comparative study

Objective
To explore caregivers’ perspectives on complementary feeding in rural and urban areas of Central Java, Indonesia.

Design
A qualitative comparative study using in-depth interviews. We applied thematic analysis to identify themes and subthemes and presented representative quotes.

Setting
Rural and urban villages in Central Java Province, Indonesia.

Participants
46 mothers and grandmothers of 6- to 23-month-old children.

Findings
We identified five themes: 1) timing of food introduction, 2) types of complementary foods, 3) meal preparations, 4) complementary food benefits, and 5) expectations toward complementary foods. While caregivers in urban areas had more favourable perceptions of complementary feeding, some misperceptions existed regarding complementary feeding in both areas. These misconceptions included the age of complementary food introduction, the delay in introducing animal-source foods, and the emphasis on any food the child preferred as long as they ate rather than on healthy food choices.

Key conclusions
There were similarities and differences in complementary feeding perspectives between caregivers in rural and urban areas. Therefore, policymakers and public health workers should design interventions to enhance complementary feeding practices by addressing the contextual issues in specific settings.