title: Maternal concern about child weight in a study of weight-discordant siblings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined concern about child weight in mothers of weight-discordant siblings and determined the accuracy of maternal self-report versus measured child height, weight, and corresponding body mass index (BMI; kg/m(2) ) z-score.
  
  
  METHODS
  Discordant sibling design. Forty-seven mothers of 5- to 12-year-old, weight-discordant siblings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mothers self-reported their concern about child weight for each child separately and for a subset of children, self-reported their heights and weights. Siblings' height, weight, waist circumference, and adiposity were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority (83%) of mothers expressed concern about their overweight/obese child's weight and 20% of mothers expressed concern about their normal-weight child's weight (p < .001). Difference scores in maternal concern about child weight were positively associated with difference scores in sibling BMI z-score (r = 0.42; p = .01) and percent body fat (r = 0.56; p < .001). For overweight/obese children only, maternal-reported child heights and weights were significantly lower compared to the measured values (p < .03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One fifth of mothers of weight-discordant siblings were unconcerned about their overweight/obese child's weight and for overweight/obese children only, mothers tended to underreport children's height and weight. Mothers' concern for their overweight/obese child's weight was greater for sibling pairs who were more discordant in their weight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Tanja V E
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Kral
authors.forename: Reneé H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Charlene W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Compher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D035781:Siblings; D055105:Waist Circumference
keywords: maternal concern about child weight; obesity; weight-discordant siblings