title: Parental weight perceptions: a cause for concern in the prevention and management of childhood obesity in the United Arab Emirates.
abstract: Parental participation is a key factor in the prevention and management of childhood obesity, thus parental recognition of weight problems is essential. We estimated parental perceptions and their determinants in the Emirati population. We invited 1541 students (grade 1-12; 50% boys) and their parents, but only 1440 (6-19 years) and their parents consented. Of these, 945 Emirati nationals provided data for analysis. Anthropometric and demographic variables were measured by standard methods. CDC BMI percentile charts for age and sex were used to classify children's weight. Parental perception of their children's weight status (underweight, normal, and overweight/obese) was recorded. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of parental perceptions of children's weight status. Of all parents, 33.8% misclassified their children's' weight status; underestimating (27.4%) or overestimating (6.3%). Misclassification was highest among parents of overweight/obese children (63.5%) and underweight (55.1%) children. More importantly, parental perceptions of their children being overweight or obese, among truly overweight/obese children, i.e. correct identification of an overweight/obese child as such, were associated with the true child's BMI percentile (CDC) with an OR of 1.313 (95% CI: 1.209-1.425; p<0.001) per percentile point, but not age, parental education, household income, and child's sex. We conclude that the majority of parents of overweight/obese children either overestimated or, more commonly, underestimated children's weight status. Predictors of accurate parental perception, in this population, include the true children's BMI, but not age, household income, and sex. Thus, parents having an incorrect perception of their child's weight status may ignore otherwise appropriate health messages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Abdulla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aljunaibi
authors.forename: Abdishakur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdulle
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nagelkerke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D058015:Health Communication; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010290:Parents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014479:United Arab Emirates / Q000453:epidemiology; D014892:Weight Perception; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2011 Oct;128(4):e786-93
references.pmid: 21949145
references.citation: J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 Jan;105(1):131-8
references.pmid: 15635359
references.citation: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2012 Jul;20(7):1539-43
references.pmid: 22421896
references.citation: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Dec 07;(12):CD001871
references.pmid: 22161367
references.citation: Adv Data. 2000 Jun 8;(314):1-27
references.pmid: 11183293
references.citation: Obes Rev. 2006 Feb;7(1):111-36
references.pmid: 16436107
references.citation: Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2008 Feb;15(1):21-9
references.pmid: 18185059
references.citation: J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2008 Jul;47(1):76-80
references.pmid: 18607272
references.citation: J Pediatr Nurs. 2009 Apr;24(2):115-30
references.pmid: 19268233
references.citation: Pediatr Obes. 2012 Jun;7(3):175-86
references.pmid: 22492659
references.citation: J Pediatr. 1995 Dec;127(6):868-74
references.pmid: 8523181
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2000 Jan;105(1):e15
references.pmid: 10617752
references.citation: Pediatrics. 1998 Mar;101(3 Pt 2):539-49
references.pmid: 12224660
references.citation: Can Fam Physician. 2007 Sep;53(9):1493-9
references.pmid: 17872878
references.citation: Diabetes Care. 1994 Jun;17(6):567-73
references.pmid: 8082526
references.citation: Int J Pediatr. 2010;2010:
references.pmid: 20862382
references.citation: Int J Pediatr Obes. 2006;1(2):66-76
references.pmid: 17907317
references.citation: Matern Child Nutr. 2013 Jan;9(1):3-22
references.pmid: 23020552
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 1997 Sep 25;337(13):869-73
references.pmid: 9302300
references.citation: Public Health Nurs. 2010 Jul-Aug;27(4):320-8
references.pmid: 20626832
references.citation: Rural Remote Health. 2008 Apr-Jun;8(2):932
references.pmid: 18503293
references.citation: Am J Cardiol. 1975 Apr;35(4):523-30
references.pmid: 1119403
references.citation: Matern Child Health J. 2012 Dec;16(9):1801-9
references.pmid: 22139047
references.citation: Int J Obes (Lond). 2013 Jan;37(1):68-74
references.pmid: 22890490
references.citation: J Ambul Care Manage. 2008 Jul-Sep;31(3):253-68
references.pmid: 18574384
references.citation: Int J Pediatr Obes. 2008;3(2):84-92
references.pmid: 18465434
references.citation: Int J Obes (Lond). 2011 Jul;35(7):953-62
references.pmid: 21673651