Household food practices and implications for food security and child feeding in Timor-Leste

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Introduction Household food security and food preparation practices are shaped by social roles, caregiving responsibilities, and economic conditions. We examined everyday household food practices in Timor-Leste within systems of caregiving, authority, and resource constraints, and their implications for household food security and child feeding. Methods We conducted an exploratory qualitative study from August to October 2025 using semi-structured, in-depth interviews with mothers who had caregiving responsibilities for children in their households across urban Dili and the rural municipalities of Ainaro and Ermera. Data were analysed using a hybrid deductive–inductive thematic approach. A total of 34 mothers participated in the study. Results Food practices were organised through women’s caregiving roles, household decision-making, and economic constraints. Women coordinated everyday food work and maintained food adequacy even under financial strain. Food allocation followed a hierarchy but remained flexible, with children prioritised during periods of scarcity. Neighbourhood sharing functioned as an informal redistribution system shaped by reciprocity and social obligation. Ceremonial obligations reinforced social cohesion but introduced financial pressure. Meal frequency and food choices were shaped by income stability, while caregiving authority determined the prioritisation of limited resources. Food knowledge was transmitted intergenerationally, and diets combined traditional staples with selected market foods. Discussion Household food practices in Timor-Leste are shaped by caregiving roles, social relationships, and economic constraints, with implications for household food security and child feeding. These findings identify caregiving, food allocation, and adaptive responses to resource constraints as household processes potentially relevant to child nutrition vulnerability. Interventions that recognise women’s central roles in everyday food management, stabilise income, and build on reciprocal systems may support household food security and child feeding.