Relationship between parent perception of child anthropometric phenotype and body mass index change among children...

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Developmental Disabilities
• Obesity Prevention

Background:

• Preschool children with developmental disabilities (DD) exhibit a higher prevalence of obesity compared to their peers without DD.
• Accurate assessment of a child's weight status is crucial for effective obesity prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between parental perception of their child's anthropometric phenotype and changes in body mass index (BMI) z-score over one school year.
• To explore potential links between parental under/overestimation of a child's weight status and weight gain in preschoolers with DD.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a subsample (N=64) of children with DD from a larger obesity prevention trial.
• Parents rated their child's anthropometric phenotype using a visual silhouette scale (1-7).
• Parental ratings were compared to the child's BMI z-score change over a school year.

Main Results:

• A significant majority (75%) of parents with obese children underestimated their child's weight status.
• Conversely, 7% of parents with non-obese children overestimated their child's weight status.
• Parental overestimation of a child's anthropometric phenotype was linked to a greater increase in BMI z-score over the school year.

Conclusions:

• Parental overestimation of a child's anthropometric phenotype status is associated with weight gain in preschool children with developmental disabilities.
• These findings underscore the need for improved parental awareness and accurate perception of weight status in children with DD to guide effective interventions.