Brazilian adolescents' body weight misperception and the Human Development Index of the cities where they live

Factors Influencing Parents' and Children's Misperception of Children's Weight Status: a Systematic Review of Current Research

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Misperception of children's weight status is prevalent among parents and children themselves and may impact parents' and children's health behaviors. This study was conducted in order to provide a descriptive systematic review of research on factors influencing parents' and children's misperceptions of children's weight status published in the past 5 years.

RECENT FINDINGS

Factors studied most often in relation to parents' and children's misperception included children's weight status, gender, and age, as well as parents' weight status, parental education levels and socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. Most determinants that were found to have a significant influence on misperception in parents also did in children. The literature on misperception of children's weight status is extensive. Most determinants assessed in included studies were known determinants of childhood obesity. Further research should be directed toward better understanding the impact of weight status perception (whether it is accurate or not) on health behaviors and weight gain over time.

Body weight perception and body weight control behaviors in adolescents

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between the perception of body weight (as above or below the desired) and behaviors for body weight control in adolescents.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study that included 1051 adolescents (aged 15-19 years) who were high school students attending public schools. The authors collected information on the perception of body weight (dependent variable), weight control behaviors (initiative to change the weight, physical exercise, eating less or cutting calories, fasting for 24h, taking medications, vomiting, or taking laxatives), and measured body weight and height to calculate the body mass index and then classify the weight status. Associations were tested by multinomial logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Adolescents of both sexes who perceived their body weight as below the expected weight took more initiatives to gain weight, and those who perceived themselves as overweight made more efforts to lose weight. In adolescents who perceived themselves as overweight, the behavior of not taking medication was associated with the outcome only in boys (Odds Ratio=8.12), whereas in girls, an association was observed with the variables eating less, cutting calories, or avoiding fatty foods aiming to lose or avoid increasing body weight (Odds Ratio=3.39). Adolescents of both sexes who practiced exercises were more likely to perceive themselves as overweight (male Odds Ratio=2.00; Odds Ratio=1.93 female).

CONCLUSION

The perception of the body weight as above and below one's expected weight was associated with weight control behaviors, which were more likely to result in initiatives to lose and gain weight, respectively.