Mothers' awareness of their weight status and concern about their children being overweight: findings from first-time mothers in south-west Sydney.
OBJECTIVE
To assess mothers' awareness of their weight status and to investigate whether this awareness influences mothers' concerns about their child being overweight or obese.


METHODS
An analysis of cross-sectional baseline survey data from the Healthy Beginnings Trial conducted in south-west Sydney, NSW.


METHODS
A total of 667 first-time mothers at 24-36 weeks of pregnancy or within one month after giving birth, who participated in the Healthy Beginnings Trial.


RESULTS
Forty per cent of first-time mothers were overweight (24%) or obese (16%). Of these women 49% considered their weight acceptable and 21% had little or no concern about their child being overweight and obese. Concern about her child's weight was not dependent on the mother's age, marital status, education, employment, ethnicity or weight status. The only factor associated with concern about children being overweight was the mother's awareness of her own weight status. Mothers who were unaware of being overweight were twice as likely to be unconcerned about their children being overweight as those who were aware of their weight status (RR 1.98, 95% CI 1.19 to 3.29, p=0.009).


CONCLUSIONS
There was a low level of awareness of mothers' own weight status, in particular among mothers who were young and less educated. This could lead to a lack of concern about their child being overweight.


CONCLUSIONS
Early interventions to prevent childhood overweight and obesity need to improve mothers' awareness of their own weight status and appropriate concerns about children being overweight or obese.
Wen
Li Ming
LM
School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney and Health Promotion Service, Sydney South West Area Health Service, New South Wales. lmwen@email.cs.nsw.gov.au
Baur
Louise A
LA
Simpson
Judy M
JM
Rissel
Chris
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009517:New South Wales; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D050177:Overweight; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult