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The Association between BMI and Body Weight Perception among Children in Turkey: A Cross-Sectional Study
Halime Pulat Demir1,2, Hatice Merve Bayram2
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Most middle-aged children underestimate their body weight, showing a significant gap between body mass index (BMI) and weight perception. This highlights the need for personalized nutrition programs based on accurate assessments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Body Composition Analysis
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Body Mass Index (BMI) and body weight perception exhibit a complex, often discordant relationship.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for assessing children's health and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and perceived body weight in middle-aged children.
- To identify discrepancies in weight perception among children with varying BMI categories.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 333 children aged 9-11 years in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated using standard weight and height measurements.
- Body weight perception assessed via a validated photograph figure rating scale.
Main Results:
- A significant portion of children (68.0%) had normal BMI, yet 38.8% perceived themselves as overweight.
- Over half (59.1%) of the children underestimated their current body weight.
- Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between actual BMI and perceived body weight (P<0.001).
Conclusions:
- A notable discrepancy exists between children's actual Body Mass Index (BMI) and their self-perceived body weight.
- The tendency for children to underestimate their body weight necessitates careful nutritional status evaluation.
- Findings can inform the development of tailored nutrition interventions for children.
Background:
There is a complex relationship between body mass index (BMI) and body weight perception. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between BMI and body weight perception among middle-aged children.
Methods:
This study was cross-sectional, and conducted among 333 children (9-11 yr) from the largest public school in Istanbul, Turkey between Oct 2019 and Jan 2020. BMI was calculated as weight divided by height squared (kg/m2). Body weight perception was determined using a photograph figure rating scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0.
Results:
Overall, 325 children (mean age 10.01 ± 0.99 yr) completed the study. According to the BMI classification, 8.6% of children were severely underweight, 4.9% underweight, 68.0% normal weight, 8.3% overweight, and 10.2% obese. However, 38.8% of the children perceived themselves as overweight, 21.2% as underweight, 20.3% as normal, 10.3% as overweight, and 9.4% as obese. 59.1% of children underestimated their current body weight. On the other hand, 14.2% of children overestimated their current body weight. There were statistical differences between body weight perception and BMI (P<0.001).
Conclusion:
There was a discrepancy between body weight perception and BMI among middle-aged children. More than half of the children tend to underestimate their actual body weight. Therefore, evaluating the nutritional status of children and learning which body type children perceive can guide the preparation of individual nutrition programs.
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