Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Parents' perception of their own and their child's weight in relation to objectively measured body mass index

Mirela Lisičić-Konaković1, Nurka Pranjić2, Senka Mesihović-Dinarević3

  • 1Paediatric Clinic, Clinical Centre of the University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Medicinski Glasnik : Official Publication of the Medical Association of Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina
|August 13, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Parental body mass index (BMI) is linked to child BMI. Many parents and children misperceive weight status, highlighting the need for better awareness and targeted interventions for childhood obesity prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Obesity Research
  • Public Health Nutrition
  • Family Health Studies

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern with complex contributing factors.
  • Parental weight status and perceptions may influence child weight trajectories.
  • Understanding these associations is crucial for effective prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between parental and child body mass index (BMI).
  • To assess parental perceptions of their own and their child's weight status compared to measured BMI.
  • To identify potential discrepancies in weight perception for targeted interventions.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study involving 1,343 children (3-6 years) and their parents in Sarajevo.
  • Data collection included sociodemographic information, weight perceptions, and anthropometric measurements.
  • Body mass index (BMI) calculated using standardized recommendations.

Main Results:

  • Higher parental BMI correlated with increased risk of child overweight and obesity.
  • Significant discrepancies were found between parental perceptions and measured BMI for both parents and children.
  • A low sensitivity (10.5%) was observed in parental identification of child overweight/obesity.

Conclusions:

  • Parental BMI is a significant predictor of child BMI.
  • Widespread misperception of weight status among parents and children necessitates improved public health awareness.
  • Targeted educational programs are recommended to address weight misperceptions and promote healthy weight management.
Abstract

Keywords:
body weightchildhood obesitynutrition

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