The PERUSANO study: Caregivers, health centre and day care centre influences on infant and young child feeding practices: interview guides for health facilities

Qualitative data from semi-structured in-depth interviews, exit interviews and observations were collected as part of a wider interdisciplinary project (PERUSANO) aimed at addressing multiple forms of malnutrition, particularly stunting, anaemia, and risk of overweight/obesity in peri-urban Peruvian infants and young children (IYC) aged 6-23 months of age. The study took place in two peri-urban areas: Manchay in Lima and Huánuco district in the Andean highlands. 

Interviews and observations explored drivers of infant and young child complementary feeding (IYCF) practices from the perspective of primary caregivers within the home environment, health professionals involved in CRED care (well-baby checks, nutrition counselling) and staff involved in the CUNAMAS National Programme in day care services. The CUNAMAS is a large-scale early child development programme established by the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion in 2012. It aims to support the holistic development of children under three living in poverty. 

Data collection in four health centres and fourteen CUNAMAS day care services took place between October and December 2019. Participants/key informants were purposefully selected to cover the main roles within the health facilities (health professionals involved in CRED care, nutritionists, primary caregivers of children), and CUNAMAS day care services (nursery caregivers, district nursery technical managers, mother guides, and primary caregivers of children). 

Interviews and observations with primary caregivers took place between January and mid-March 2020. A purposive quota sampling was employed to recruit mothers according to the child’s age, maternal working status and nutritional status from participants who had taken part in the quantitative survey of the PERUSANO project. In March 2020, face-to-face interviews stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the remaining interviews with caregivers were conducted by telephone. Observations could no longer be conducted.

In this folder, semi-structured interview guides for the health facilities are available in both English and Spanish languages. Detailed sampling information according to interview type, location and stakeholder group can be found in Supplementary material 1. See also the README_HP file attached.

The quantitative component of the study has been described elsewhere (Pradeilles et al. 2022). Quantitative survey questionnaires and data can be found at 10.17028/rd.lboro.18750458, 10.17028/rd.lboro.16691455 and 10.17028/rd.lboro.21656348.