Hispanic parents' perceptions of their preschool children's weight status

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of Hispanic parents' perceptions of their preschool children's weight status. Design and Methods. A cross-sectional descriptive design with Hispanic parent-child dyads (n = 83) from a Head Start setting was used to compare parents' perceptions of their children's weight status with their 2- to 5-year-old children's body mass index (BMI) and weight categories. Methods included a word choice from five response options, and varying body size silhouettes presented in a linear fashion and a random circular pattern. Parents' perceptions were compared with the children's BMI, and in relationship to parents' demographic characteristics and BMI. Results. Approximately half of parents underestimated their child's weight status, and overweight/obese parents tended to underestimate their overweight/obese children's weight status. Practice Implications. Eliciting parent perception of their child's weight is one way providers can engage in obesity prevention dialogue.