title: Brazilian Maternal Weight Perception and Satisfaction With Toddler Body Size: A Study in Primary Health Care.
abstract: Maternal perception and satisfaction with child's weight status are important to detect early and to successfully treat the extremes in weight, especially during early childhood, when the child is more dependent on maternal care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the inaccuracy of maternal perception of toddler body size and its associated factors and to analyze maternal dissatisfaction with toddler body size.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study with 135 mother-toddler dyads attending Primary Health Care Facilities, São Paulo, Brazil. Children's actual weight status was classified using body mass index-for-age. Inaccuracy and dissatisfaction were assessed using an image scale. We used logistic regression to identify the factors associated with inaccuracy of maternal perception of toddler body size.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Inaccuracy in maternal perception was observed in 34.8% of participants. Mothers of excessive weight children were more likely to have inaccurate perceptions (OR=4.6; 95% CI 2.0-10.7), and mothers of children who attended well-child care were less likely to have inaccurate perceptions (OR=0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.9). More than half of mothers (52.6%) were dissatisfied with their toddler's size and desired a larger child (75.0% of mothers of underweight children, 25.0% of mothers whose children were at risk for overweight and 23.0% of mothers of overweight children).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of mothers were inaccurate in their perception and was dissatisfied with their toddler's body size. Maternal inaccuracy and dissatisfaction differed by the weight status of the toddler. Attendance at well-child visits was an effective way to decrease maternal inaccuracy, which reinforces the importance of the influence of health professionals.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Nursing Department of University of São Paulo School of Nursing, Brazil. Electronic address: luciane_simoes@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Luciane Simões
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Public Health Nursing Department of University of São Paulo School of Nursing, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fujimori
authors.affiliation: Mother and Child and Psychiatric Nursing Department of University of São Paulo School of Nursing, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aurea Tamami
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Minagawa Toriyama
authors.affiliation: Public Health Nursing Department of University of São Paulo School of Nursing, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claudia Nery Teixeira
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Palombo
authors.affiliation: Public Health Nursing Department of University of São Paulo School of Nursing, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Luiza Vilela
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department of University of São Paulo School of Public Health, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline Yukari
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Kurihayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D050177:Overweight / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods; D014892:Weight Perception
keywords: Body image; Child health services; Nutritional status; Obesity; Perception; Public health nursing