title: Altered perception of the nutritional status of preschoolers by their parents: A risk factor for overweight and obesity.
abstract: Many parents have a misperception of their children's body size; in general, they underestimate overweight and obesity.
  
  
  
  To identify the difference between parents' perception of their children's nutritional status and measured body mass index.
  
  
  
  To identify the difference between parents' perception of their children's nutritional status and measured body mass index.
  
  
  
  A total of 605 children and their parents were assessed. Seventy-four (12.2%) were overweight and 87 were obese (14.3%). There were 161 overweight or obese children, but 98.8% (159) of parents underestimated their children's nutritional status. Parents' underperception of their children's body size accounted for an OR= 2.1 ± 0.5, p= 0.002 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32-3.32) for obesity and an OR = 4.42 ± 1.2, p < 0.001 (95% CI: 2.631-7.439) for overweight.
  
  
  
  Among parents of overweight and obese children, 98.8% (159) underestimated their children's weight status. Such underestimation by parents may be a significant risk factor for the development and/or persistence of overweight and obesity in their children.
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Medicina del Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.|Residencia en Pediatría del Sistema Multicéntrico de Residencias Médicas, ITESM-SSNL, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. jsg@itesm.mx.
authors.forename: Karla L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Chávez Caraza
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Medicina del Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.|Residencia en Pediatría del Sistema Multicéntrico de Residencias Médicas, ITESM-SSNL, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.
authors.forename: Julieta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodríguez de Ita
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Medicina del Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.|Residencia en Pediatría del Sistema Multicéntrico de Residencias Médicas, ITESM-SSNL, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santos Guzmán
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Medicina del Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.|Residencia en Pediatría del Sistema Multicéntrico de Residencias Médicas, ITESM-SSNL, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.
authors.forename: Javán G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Segovia Aguirre
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Medicina del Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.|Residencia en Pediatría del Sistema Multicéntrico de Residencias Médicas, ITESM-SSNL, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.
authors.forename: Diana C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Altamirano Montealvo
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Medicina del Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.|Residencia en Pediatría del Sistema Multicéntrico de Residencias Médicas, ITESM-SSNL, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.
authors.forename: Víctor M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Matías Barrios
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D009752:Nutritional Status; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Obesity; Parents; Perception; Preschooler; Visual scale