Overweight in Latino preschoolers: do parental health beliefs matter?
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (KAB) regarding childhood obesity among parents of Latino preschoolers.


METHODS
Three hundred sixty-nine Mexican immigrant parents of children ages 2-5 were interviewed. Children were weighed and measured.


RESULTS
Parents underestimated their own child's weight status and had high levels of perceived control over their children's eating and activity behaviors. Parents of overweight (>95%ile-for-age-and-sex BMI) versus nonoverweight (<95%ile BMI) children did not differ in their beliefs about ideal child body size.


CONCLUSIONS
Latino parents of overweight children did not differ from parents of nonoverweight children with respect to their KAB about childhood obesity.
Kersey
Margaret
M
Department of Pediatrics, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA. kerse003@umn.edu
Lipton
Rebecca
R
Quinn
Michael T
MT
Lantos
John D
JD
D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*