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Parents' Perceptions and Adherence to Children's Diet and Activity Recommendations: the 2008 Feeding Infants and
Ronette R Briefel1, Denise M Deming2, Kathleen C Reidy2
1Mathematica Policy Research, 1100 1st Street, NE 12th floor, Washington, DC 20002-4221.
Insights
Parents often perceive their young children
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics and Child Health
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue requiring multi-faceted interventions.
- Understanding perceptions and behaviors in children under 4 is crucial for effective obesity prevention.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics' 5-2-1-0 guidelines offer a framework for healthy habits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess parental perceptions of young children's diet and body weight.
- To evaluate adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics' 5-2-1-0 recommendations among infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
- To identify data gaps in early childhood obesity prevention strategies.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive analysis of survey data from the 2008 Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS).
- Included 887 infants (<12 months), 925 toddlers (12-23.9 months), and 1,461 preschoolers (24-47.9 months).
- Cross-sectional, national study design.
Main Results:
- Most parents perceived their child's weight as appropriate, underestimating overweight prevalence.
- Low adherence observed for fruit/vegetable intake (30% of preschoolers met 5 servings) and screen time (2% of toddlers met 0 hours).
- Moderate adherence to outdoor play (56-71% met 1 hour) and limiting sugar-sweetened beverages (52-56% met recommendations).
Conclusions:
- Findings highlight the need for continued research into obesity prevention policies and strategies from infancy through preschool.
- Healthcare providers are key points of contact for educating parents on healthy childhood habits.
- Early intervention is critical for addressing childhood obesity.
Introduction:
Solving the childhood obesity problem will require strategies for changes in policy, the environment, the community, and the family. Filling the data gap for children younger than 4 years could facilitate interventions aimed at this critical age group. The objective of this study was to describe parents' and caregivers' perceptions of the healthfulness of their young child's diet and body weight and to assess their adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics' 5-2-1-0 recommendations.
Methods:
We conducted a descriptive analysis of parents' and caregivers' survey data for 887 infants younger than 12 months, 925 toddlers aged 12 to 23.9 months, and 1,461 preschoolers aged 24 to 47.9 months. Data were from the national, cross-sectional 2008 Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS).
Results:
Most parents considered their child's weight to be about right but were more likely to think their child was underweight (8%-9%) than overweight (2%-3%). Most parents thought their child consumed enough fruits and vegetables: however, only 30% of preschoolers met the recommendation for 5 daily servings. Only 2% of toddlers met the recommendation for no screen time, whereas 79% of preschoolers met the recommendation to limit daily screen time to 2 hours or less. About 56% of toddlers and 71% of preschoolers met the recommendation of at least 1 hour of daily outdoor play. About 56% of toddlers and 52% of preschoolers met the recommendation to limit consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
Conclusion:
The FITS 2008 findings underscore the ongoing need for research on policies and strategies to prevent childhood obesity from infancy through preschool. Health care providers can play a vital role because they are an important and early point of contact for parents.
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