{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,16]],"date-time":"2026-10-16T21:24:58Z","timestamp":1792185898358,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,26]],"date-time":"2026-05-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779753600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Nutritional management plays a critical role in optimizing growth, delaying disease progression, and improving long-term outcomes in children with chronic kidney disease. However, caregivers\u2019 perceptions, experiences, and support needs regarding nutritional management remain insufficiently understood.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using semi-structured face-to-face interviews between May and July 2025 in a tertiary women\u2019s and children\u2019s hospital in Chengdu, China. Fifteen primary caregivers of children with CKD were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis with the assistance of NVivo 11.0 software. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was achieved.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Four major themes and related subthemes emerged: (1) mismatch between caregivers\u2019 information needs and the current information environment; (2) variability in caregivers\u2019 willingness and ability to engage in nutritional learning; (3) barriers to translating intention into home-based nutritional management; and (4) caregivers\u2019 needs and expectations regarding nutritional management. Caregivers commonly reported limited access to reliable and authoritative nutritional information, difficulties in appraising information quality, and insufficient continuity of healthcare support. Learning engagement varied according to educational level, caregiving burden, and perceived practicality of information, while culturally influenced preferences (e.g., traditional Chinese medicine) also shaped participation in formal education. Despite generally strong motivation, caregivers frequently experienced an intention\u2013behavior gap, struggling to translate knowledge into consistent dietary practices.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Caregivers of children with CKD face substantial challenges in accessing, understanding, and applying nutritional information in daily care. These difficulties appear to be influenced by limitations in informational support, differences in motivation, and practical caregiving capacity. The findings highlight the importance of providing caregivers with clear, practical, and accessible nutritional support that better facilitates long-term home-based nutritional management for children with CKD.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1822018","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,26]],"date-time":"2026-05-26T06:02:49Z","timestamp":1779775369000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Primary caregivers\u2019 perceptions, needs, and expectations regarding nutritional management of children with chronic kidney disease: a qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Diyi","family":"Luo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Urinary Disease Center Nursing, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"Sichuan Provincial Children's Hospital (Sichuan Provincial Children's Medical Center)","place":["Meishan, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"West China Second University Hospital (Tianfu), Sichuan University","place":["Meishan, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yujia","family":"Guan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Urinary Disease Center Nursing, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"Sichuan Provincial Children's Hospital (Sichuan Provincial Children's Medical Center)","place":["Meishan, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"West China Second University Hospital (Tianfu), Sichuan University","place":["Meishan, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lili","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Urinary Disease Center Nursing, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"Sichuan Provincial Children's Hospital (Sichuan Provincial Children's Medical Center)","place":["Meishan, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"West China Second University Hospital (Tianfu), Sichuan University","place":["Meishan, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yanni","family":"Zheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Urinary Disease Center Nursing, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"Sichuan Provincial Children's Hospital (Sichuan Provincial Children's Medical Center)","place":["Meishan, Sichuan, China"]},{"name":"West China Second University Hospital (Tianfu), Sichuan University","place":["Meishan, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S117","DOI":"10.1016\/j.kint.2023.10.018","article-title":"KDIGO 2024 clinical practice guideline for the evaluation and management of chronic kidney disease","volume":"105","year":"2024","journal-title":"Kidney 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