Learning from Peers: What is Needed in the Development of a Peer Support Intervention (2023)
Undergraduate: Carrigan Price
Faculty Advisor: Colin Orr
Department: Health Policy and Management
Background: Parental feeding behaviors (PFBs) during infancy may link food insecurity (FI) and pediatric obesity. Peer support is a possible intervention to address FI and PFBs to support healthy infant growth.
Objective: To understand the experiences and social resource needs of low-income families with infants <6 months of age to inform the development of a peer parent coach (PPC) model.
Methods: Data were collected via 30-45-minute semi-structured interviews conducted November 2022-January 2023. Parents of infants <6 months were recruited from University of North Carolina (UNC) Children’s Primary and Specialty Care Clinic and were eligible if they were English speaking and >18 years of age. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using the rigorous and accelerated data reduction (RADaR) technique.
Results: Eight parents from various socioeconomic and racial backgrounds were interviewed including 3 who identified as White, 3 as Black, 1 as Asian, and 1 as two or more races. Parents’ income levels varied as followed: <$10k (2); $20-40k (2), and >$40k (4). Emotional support from PPCs was expressed as a primary interest in addition to the support of family members. Reported need for instrumental and informational support was also prominent. Parents attested that PPCs should know about breast- and bottle-feeding (with or without formula) and introducing solid foods, including the frequency and volumes of feedings, positioning the infant, and recognizing hunger cues. Additional informational support parents identified included how to apply to WIC and SNAP and obtain food from community sources. Although endorsed generally, parents identifying as a racial minority more frequently mentioned a need for support with feeding and resource connection. Regarding the processes of PPC intervention, parents suggested training PPCs through hands-on, scenario-based practice, potentially supplemented by lecture and discussion. Recommended approaches for PPC’s engagement with parents focused on sharing experiences and presenting options to empower families in making informed decisions about their infant’s health. Given parents’ desire for PPCs to have personal experience caring for an infant, they acknowledged that one challenge PPCs may face is the time commitment.
Conclusion: Need for a PPC model exists among our sample of low-income parents of young infants; with appropriate training and knowledge, PPCs may promote healthy infant weight gain by addressing FI through resource connection.