Maternal practices and perceptions of child body mass status explain child energy expenditure behaviors and body mass

Parents' perception of their children's weight status in an urban area of Western Greece

Context:

A lot of parents whose children are overweight or even obese are in no position to accurately acknowledge the real weight of their children. Parents' perception of their children's weight plays a significant role in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.

Aims:

This paper describes parents' opinions on the real weight status of their children and the sufficiency of quality nutrients in their diet.

Settings and Design:

The research methodology used in the particular study was based on survey research in preschool settings in West Greece.

Methods and Material:

The research methodology used in the particular study was based on survey research. Data were collected through questionnaires answered by parents of children attending preschool settings aged between two and five. One hundred and seventy-eight children and their parents participated. All parents had been informed of the aim of the study beforehand and gave their consent on condition that they could withdraw at any stage they wished.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences).

Results:

Comparing the Body Mass Index of children with the parents' opinion of their children's weight, we noticed 85,71% and 78,13% of the parents whose children were obese and overweight respectively, regarded their weight as normal. The majority of the overweight and obese children's parents were of the opinion that their children's diet was proper and healthy.

Conclusions:

Most parents whose children were obese or overweight underestimated the real weight of their children and considered their nutrition healthy.

The Association Between Single-Child Status and Risk of Abdominal Obesity: Result From a Cross-Sectional Study of China

Background: Obesity has become a serious problem threatening the health of children and adolescents, and China's one-child policy has affected family structure and parenting practice, which may result in several adverse health outcomes. The present study aims to investigate the association between single-child status and the risk of abdominal obesity in Chinese adolescents and also to compare the differences in the risk of unideal energy-related behaviors. Methods: Data were obtained from a school-based cross-sectional survey conducted in seven provinces of China, in 2012. A total of 31,291 students aged 7-17 years were recruited in this study. Anthropometric measurements were conducted to assess height and waist circumference, and questionnaires were used to obtain information of single-child status, parental educational attainment, parental weight status, and offspring energy-related behaviors. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of single-child status and odds of childhood abdominal obesity and energy-related behaviors. Results: The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 18.2% in single children, which was higher than that of non-single children (13.7%). The prevalence was also higher in single children in different sex and residence subgroups. Logistic regression models showed that single children had 1.33 times (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.24-1.43, P < 0.001) higher odds of abdominal obesity compared to non-single children. Single children had 1.08 times higher odds of physical inactivity (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03-1.14, P = 0.004), 1.13 times higher odds of excessive sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) consumption (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.05-1.23, P = 0.002), and 1.08 times more likely to eat out (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02-1.13, P = 0.006). Those associations were more remarkable in single girls. Conclusion: Being a single child may be associated with a higher odds of childhood abdominal obesity and unhealthy energy-related behaviors. Future interventions and strategies to prevent abdominal obesity should focus on this high-risk population.