Associated meanings to body notion and feeding practices: A qualitative study with Chilean mothers

Abstract

Abstract

This paper raises the relationship of meanings between the notion of body and feeding practices from the discourse of Chilean mothers of different income strata. Based on a qualitative methodology and a descriptive design, we investigated the patterns of food socialization promoted by the mothers within their homes, to visualize the meanings assigned to the notion of body. A total of 18 women between 31 and 53 years with three different income strata (low, medium and high) were interviewed individually, considering three thematic axes: strategies of food socialization in the family context, concerns about family eating habits and concerns about health care. Based on the analysis carried out, three major response categories were yielded: daily food practices, self-care behaviors and knowledge. Although these categories were found to be transversal in the three income strata, certain nuances were identified that point to the differences and similarities that underlie the meanings related to the notion of the body.