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Parental perception of children's weight as a function of ethnicity/race, gender, and age

Ximena L Valdes1, M Fernanda Nota, Sofia M Franco

  • 1Department of Pediatrics/C&Y, University of Louisville, School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.

The Journal of the Kentucky Medical Association
|January 14, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Parental perception of child

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Obesity Research
  • Health Disparities

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
  • Understanding parental perception of weight is crucial for effective interventions.
  • Ethnic and age variations in perception may impact early detection and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how parental perception of a child's weight differs across ethnicity, age, and gender.
  • To assess parental recognition of childhood obesity and their level of concern.
  • To explore concordance between parent and child weight assessments.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 310 parent/child dyads from diverse ethnic backgrounds (Hispanic, African-American, Caucasian).
  • Children aged 2-18 years with body mass index (BMI) at or above the 25th percentile.
  • Parents self-reported their and their child's weight status and concern levels.

Main Results:

  • No significant ethnic differences in parental perception of child's weight.
  • Parents were less likely to recognize obesity in younger than older girls.
  • Obese children recognized their own weight status in most cases (80% concordance).
  • Hispanic parents of obese children reported higher concern levels compared to Caucasian and African-American parents.

Conclusions:

  • While parents recognize clinical obesity, younger children, particularly girls, may be underestimated.
  • Parental concern varies by ethnicity, with Hispanic parents showing higher concern.
  • High concordance in weight perception between obese children and their parents can aid clinical interventions.

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