Parental Perceptions of Overweight During Early Childhood

Prior to developing an overweight prevention program, researchers examined perceptions of overweight during early childhood among minority, low-socioeconomic status (SES) parents of preschoolers living in Hartford, Connecticut (USA). Content analysis of 10 focus groups (average size = 7) and 18 follow-up interviews revealed parents have a distorted, detached view of clinically defined overweight preschoolers, and they do not include weight in their definition of health. The result is a disconnect in communicating with health care providers regarding overweight during early childhood. Findings suggest that overweight intervention programs will be more effective by focusing on the main concern of parents, which is good health rather than weight. By developing new approaches to communicating the diagnosis and implications of overweight during early childhood, health providers are more likely to be able to work collaboratively with parents to prevent and treat overweight during early childhood.