Mothers’ perceptions of their own diets and the diets of their children at 2–3 years of age

This is a cross-sectional analysis of a follow-up study to examine the perceptions of mothers treated at public health centers, regarding their own diets and the diets of their children aged 2–3. Among the 464 participants, 57% (n = 267) reported perceiving their own diets as unhealthy while 72% (n = 334) perceiving their children’s diets as healthy. The mothers’ perceptions of their own diets as healthy were associated with less maternal schooling and having received health care from professionals who had received special training (p < 0.05). The mothers’ perceptions of their children’s diets as healthy were associated with more maternal schooling (p < 0.05). This difference between the mothers’ perceptions of their own diets and those of their children reinforce the importance of considering maternal beliefs and attitudes in infant nutritional intervention programs.