Can Yılmaz Gülay, Mutlu Hatice, Söbü Elif
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Üniversity, Aydın Muğla Yolu No:50, 48000, Muğla, Türkiye.
Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Health Management, Istanbul Beykent University, Istanbul, Türkiye.
BMC Pediatr. 2025 Jul 1;25(1):477. doi: 10.1186/s12887-025-05830-2.
Childhood obesity is a multifactorial public health issue that negatively impacts physical, psychosocial, and cognitive development. Parental perceptions and self-efficacy play a critical role in shaping children's lifestyle behaviors and weight management outcomes. This study aimed to examine the relationship between parents' perceptions of their children's weight-related behaviors, their confidence in managing these behaviors, and the children's clinical parameters.
This cross-sectional study was conducted between June and August 2023 in one university and one private hospital in Türkiye. A total of 114 parents (one per child, either the mother or the father) of children diagnosed with obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile) who were actively involved in their child's weight management process were included. Data were collected using structured face-to-face questionnaires and retrospective clinical record review. The Lifestyle Behavior Checklist (LBC) was employed to assess parental perceptions (Problem Scale) and self-efficacy (Confidence Scale). Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to explore associations between scale scores and sociodemographic and clinical variables.
A strong negative correlation was observed between Problem and Confidence Scale scores (r = - 0.695; p < 0.001). Higher BMI SD scores were significantly associated with increased parental concern (r = 0.274; p = 0.039). Compared to parents of boys, parents of girls perceived weight-related behaviors as more problematic (p = 0.032) and reported lower confidence in managing them (p = 0.039). Regression analyses identified being married and lower TSH levels as significant predictors of higher Problem Scale scores, while female gender and higher LDL levels were associated with lower Confidence Scale scores.
Parental perceptions and self-efficacy are influenced by child-specific clinical indicators and gender-related expectations. However, these clinical associations explained only a modest proportion of the variance, suggesting that unmeasured psychosocial and contextual factors may also play a substantial role. The findings highlight the need for family-centered educational interventions aimed at improving parental self-efficacy and health literacy to promote sustainable healthy lifestyle behaviors. This study provides valuable insights that may inform future large-scale and longitudinal research on the prevention of childhood obesity.
儿童肥胖是一个多因素的公共卫生问题，对身体、心理社会和认知发展产生负面影响。父母的认知和自我效能在塑造儿童的生活方式行为和体重管理结果方面起着关键作用。本研究旨在探讨父母对其子女体重相关行为的认知、管理这些行为的信心与儿童临床参数之间的关系。
本横断面研究于2023年6月至8月在土耳其的一所大学和一家私立医院进行。纳入了114名积极参与孩子体重管理过程的肥胖儿童（BMI≥第95百分位数）的父母（每个孩子一名家长，母亲或父亲）。通过结构化面对面问卷和回顾性临床记录审查收集数据。使用生活方式行为清单（LBC）评估父母的认知（问题量表）和自我效能（信心量表）。进行相关性和多元回归分析，以探讨量表得分与社会人口学和临床变量之间的关联。
问题量表得分与信心量表得分之间存在强烈的负相关（r = -0.695；p < 0.001）。较高的BMI标准差得分与父母更高的担忧显著相关（r = 0.274；p = 0.039）。与男孩的父母相比，女孩的父母认为体重相关行为问题更多（p = 0.032），并且报告管理这些行为的信心较低（p = 0.039）。回归分析确定已婚和较低的促甲状腺激素水平是问题量表得分较高的显著预测因素，而女性性别和较高的低密度脂蛋白水平与信心量表得分较低相关。
父母的认知和自我效能受到儿童特定临床指标和性别相关期望的影响。然而，这些临床关联仅解释了变异的一小部分，表明未测量的心理社会和背景因素可能也起着重要作用。研究结果强调了以家庭为中心的教育干预措施的必要性，旨在提高父母的自我效能和健康素养，以促进可持续的健康生活方式行为。本研究提供了有价值的见解，可能为未来预防儿童肥胖的大规模纵向研究提供参考。
