Journal
PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITION
Volume 21, Issue 9, Pages 1671-1680Publisher
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1017/S136898001800006X
Keywords
Childhood obesity; Parental perception; Parenting behaviour; Dietary intake; Physical activity
Funding
- Guangdong Science and Technology Program [2016-A020225002]
- Guangdong Natural Science Fund [2015A030313093]
- Ministry of Health, People's Republic of China [201202010]
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Objective: Parents commonly fail to correctly recognize the weight status of their child. Whether parental perception of child weight is associated with weight-related parenting behaviours and child behaviours is unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the distribution of parental perception of child weight and its associations with weight-related parenting behaviours and child behaviours in China. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Seven provinces in China. Subjects: A total of 47 417 children aged 6-17 years and their parents were included from a national survey in 2013. Parental perception of child weight, weight-related parenting behaviours and child behaviours were self-reported. Child's weight and height were objectively measured. Results: A total of 30.5% of parents underestimated and 8.7% overestimated the child's weight. Parental underestimation was more common among younger children, boys and children with a lower BMI Z-score. Parents who perceived that their child had a healthy weight (accurately or inaccurately) were more likely to prepare breakfast for the child, exercise with him/her, set apart his/her exercise time, restrict his/her screen time, and were less likely to store soft drinks for the child. Children perceived to have a healthy weight, regardless of their actual weight status, behaved healthier on dietary intake, physical activity and homework time. Conclusions: Parental underestimation of their child's weight was prominent in China, especially among younger children, boys and children with a lower BMI Z-score. Parental recognition of their child being overweight did not appear to translate into healthy changes in weight-related parenting behaviours or child behaviours.
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