title: The importance of parental knowledge: evidence from weight report cards in Mexico.
abstract: The rise of childhood obesity in less developed countries is often overlooked. We study the impact of body weight report cards in Mexico. The report cards increased parental knowledge and shifted parental attitudes about children's weight. We observe no meaningful changes in parental behaviors or children's body mass index. Interestingly, parents of children in the most obese classrooms were less likely to report that their obese child weighed too much relative to those in the least obese classrooms. As obesity rates increase, reference points for appropriate body weights may rise, making it more difficult to lower obesity rates.
authors.affiliation: Case Western Reserve University, United States. Electronic address: silvia.prina@case.edu.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prina
authors.affiliation: University of California-Santa Barbara, NBER, United States. Electronic address: royer@econ.ucsb.edu.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Royer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Field experiment; Health; Information; Mexico; Obesity