ASEAN Institute for Health Development, Mahidol University, Salaya, Phutthamonthon, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand.
Institute for Health and Society, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Eat Weight Disord. 2019 Jun;24(3):557-564. doi: 10.1007/s40519-017-0399-4. Epub 2017 May 22.
Parental perception of their child's weight may be a crucial factor in parental ability for action with regard to their child's weight problem. This aim of this study was to investigate parental perception of their child's weight status and dietary healthiness, amount of food consumed and physical activity level and its related factors.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among children (Grades 4-6) selected by cluster sampling in two schools. Children were invited to participate in the measurements of anthropometry and their parents were asked to classify their child's weight and health behaviors.
In total, 41.8% of parents misperceived their child's weight, of which 82% underestimated their child's weight, in particular regarding overweight or obesity. As parents of overweight or obese children underestimated their child's weight, around 65% were not concerned with their child's current weight and about becoming overweight in the future. Factor associated with underestimation of overweight children was not having a sibling, while among children with normal weight, the underestimation was associated with boys, lower body mass index (BMI), maternal employment and low household income. Furthermore, parents underestimating their child's weight were more likely to be optimistic about their child's dietary healthiness, food amount taken, and physical activity level than those with correct child's weight estimates.
Findings show a high proportion of parental misperception of their child's weight status. Family-based weight control interventions will need to incorporate parental misperceptions of the body weight and health behaviors of their children.
父母对子女体重的感知可能是其能否采取行动解决子女体重问题的关键因素。本研究旨在调查父母对子女体重状况和饮食健康、食物摄入量和身体活动水平的感知及其相关因素。
采用整群抽样法在两所学校中选取 4-6 年级的儿童进行横断面调查。邀请儿童参加人体测量学测量，同时要求其父母对子女的体重和健康行为进行分类。
共有 41.8%的父母对子女的体重存在错误认知，其中 82%的父母低估了子女的体重，尤其是对超重或肥胖的判断。由于超重或肥胖儿童的父母低估了子女的体重，约 65%的父母对子女目前的体重和未来超重问题并不关注。超重儿童父母低估子女体重的相关因素为没有兄弟姐妹，而在体重正常的儿童中，这种低估与男孩、较低的体重指数（BMI）、母亲就业和低收入家庭有关。此外，低估子女体重的父母更倾向于对子女的饮食健康、食物摄入量和身体活动水平持乐观态度，而对子女体重估计正确的父母则不那么乐观。
研究结果表明，父母对子女体重状况存在较高比例的错误认知。基于家庭的体重控制干预措施需要将父母对子女体重和健康行为的错误认知纳入其中。
