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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

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Parent Underestimation of Child Weight Status and Attitudes towards BMI Screening

Jennifer K Linchey1, Benjamin King1, Hannah R Thompson1

  • 1University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA.

Health Behavior and Policy Review
|September 3, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Parental perception of child weight status and support for school BMI screening varies by race/ethnicity, parent weight, and child age. These factors influence how parents view and support body mass index (BMI) screening in schools.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric obesity
  • Public health
  • Health disparities

Background:

  • Parental underestimation of child weight status is a significant barrier to addressing childhood obesity.
  • Understanding parental attitudes towards school-based body mass index (BMI) screening is crucial for effective implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify predictors of parental underestimation of child weight status.
  • To examine factors associated with parental support for school-based BMI screening and reporting.

Main Methods:

  • A mailed survey was administered to 1002 parents of 3rd to 7th graders in The Fit Study.
  • Data collected included parent race/ethnicity, weight status, perception of child's weight status, and support for BMI screening/reporting.

Main Results:

  • Most parents underestimated their child's overweight or obese status.
  • Support for BMI screening was higher among Hispanic, Asian, and Black parents compared to White parents.
  • Support for BMI reporting decreased with increasing child grade level.

Conclusions:

  • Parental race/ethnicity, parent weight status, and child age are significant predictors of support for school-based BMI screening and reporting.
  • Findings highlight the need for culturally tailored approaches to childhood obesity interventions.
Abstract

Keywords:
BMI reportingBMI screeningbody mass index (BMI)childhood obesitychildhood overweightweight status

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