Parental Misperception of Child’s Weight: A Barrier to Combating the Childhood Obesity Epidemic in a Lower Middle-Income Country
R. Ghammam, R. Kebaili, S. Ben Fredj, N. Zammit, A. Skhiri, O. K. Ben Saad, H. Ben Hafaiedh, N. Jaballah, F. Chouikha, A. Chouchene, L. Boughammoura, I. Harrabi, M. JiheneIntroduction
The global obesity pandemic poses a significant threat to public health. A critical first step in addressing childhood obesity is ensuring that parents can accurately identify their child’s weight status. However, a widespread misperception of a child’s weight, particularly an underestimation of overweight or obesity, is a major barrier to effective prevention and intervention. Understanding the factors that contribute to this misperception is essential for developing targeted public health strategies.
Objectives
The objective of this study was to evaluate parental perception of their child’s weight and investigate the factors associated with underestimation in a lower middle-income country (LMIC).
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted in six randomly selected kindergartens to ensure a representative sample. All enrolled children and their parents were invited to participate. Data were collected via a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire in Arabic. Anthropometric measurements were taken for all participating children
Results
A total of 364 children aged 3 to 5 years, along with their parents, participated. Of the children, 51.4% were boys. A striking 63.1% (95% CI [58.1-68.1]) of parents underestimated their child’s weight, while only 34.9% (95% CI [29.9-39.8]) perceived it correctly. The remaining 2% (95% CI [0.5-3.3]) overestimated it.
Multivariate analysis showed a strong link between parental underestimation of a child’s weight and several key factors. We found that parents who underestimated their own weight were over six times more likely to underestimate their child’s weight (aOR=6.43, 95% CI [2.48-16.66], p<0.001). Additionally, a father’s excess weight (aOR=3.22, 95% CI [1.53-6.77], p=0.002) and a child’s overweight status (aOR=6.01, 95% CI [1.16-31.14], p=0.033) were also significantly associated with this misperception. A similar trend was observed for childhood obesity (OR=3.59, 95% CI [0.93-13.87], p=0.063).
Conclusions
Our findings reveal that a significant majority of parents in this LMIC setting underestimate their child’s weight. This widespread misperception is a critical barrier to effective obesity prevention and may play a crucial role in sustaining the obesity epidemic in developing countries. To address this, a multidisciplinary strategy is urgently needed to not only modify lifestyle and environmental factors but also to change cultural and social norms surrounding weight perception.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared