title: Dietary intakes and familial correlates of overweight/obesity: a four-cities study in India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children is increasing in India. However, knowledge of, attitude towards and practice of health and nutrition in mothers and children have not been researched.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess knowledge of, attitude towards and practice of nutrition, physical activity and other lifestyle practices in a nationally representative sample of urban children and mothers in India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional observational study of 1,800 children aged 9-18 years and their mothers, using qualitative (focus group) and quantitative (semi-structured survey) data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of overweight/obesity among the children was 19.2% in males and 18.1% in females; 64.8% of mothers were either overweight [body mass index (BMI) 23.0-24.9; 23.3%] or obese (BMI >25.0; 41.5%). Household family income, related socioeconomic factors, and overweight in mothers were most significantly associated with obesity in children (all p ≤ 0.001). Dietary consumption patterns (snacking, fast food etc.) showed a marked association between mothers and children (all p ≤ 0.000). Focus group discussion revealed several interesting attitudes and misconceptions among children ('home-cooked food is old fashioned') and mothers ('a child with chubby cheeks is healthy, not fat'). Importantly, only a few mothers understood that excess weight or diets are contributory factors of morbidities in children or themselves.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights the poor knowledge, faulty attitudes and practices of urban Asian Indian mothers and their children in a highly correlated manner. These knowledge gaps must be addressed to formulate effective strategies for the prevention of obesity and related metabolic disorders.
authors.affiliation: National Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation, Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gulati
authors.forename: Anoop
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Colles
authors.forename: Dimple
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kondal
authors.forename: Nidhi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Kashish
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.forename: Mamatha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: Vaishali
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Madkaikar
authors.forename: Swati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhardwaj
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population