Maternal perceptions and concerns about children’s weight status and diet quality: a study among Black immigrant families

Abstract

Objective: To identify factors influencing Black immigrant mothers’ perceptions and concerns about child weight, and to compare children’s diet quality according to these perceptions and concerns. Design: Mothers’ perceptions and concerns about child weight were assessed with sex-specific figure rating scales and the Child Feeding Questionnaire, respectively. Participants’ weights and heights were measured and characterized using World Health Organization references. Children’s dietary intakes were estimated using a 24-hour dietary recall. Children’s diet quality was evaluated using the relative proportion of their energy intake provided by ultra-processed products, which were identified with the NOVA classification. Chi-square tests, multivariate logistic regressions and t-tests were performed. Setting: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Participants: Black immigrant mothers of Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean origin (n=186) and their 6-12-year-old children. Results: Among mothers, 32.4% perceived their child as having overweight while 48.4% expressed concerns about child weight. Girls and children with overweight or obesity were significantly more likely to be perceived as having overweight by their mothers than boys and normal-weight children, respectively. Mothers of children living with obesity, but not overweight, were significantly more likely to be concerned about their child’s weight than mothers of normal-weight children. Children’s diet quality did not differ according to mothers’ perceptions and concerns. Conclusion: Children’s gender and weight status were major determinants of perceptions and concerns about child weight among Black immigrant mothers. Including knowledge about mothers’ perceptions and concerns about child weight will help nutrition professionals develop interventions tailored to specific family needs within the context of their cultural backgrounds.

Effect of migrant parents' bodyweight perception on children's body bodyweight: A longitudinal analysis of population cohort study

“…Lastly, acculturation did not significantly moderate the relationship between migrant parents' bodyweight perception and children's subsequent bodyweight. Our result on acculturation was not what we hypothesised, although it was not surprising given the previous findings of no significant effect of parental acculturation on parental weight perception ( Kengneson et al, 2022 ; McLeod, Bates, Heard, Bohnert, & Santiago, 2018 ).…”

Assessing the Validity and Reliability of a French Version of the Child Feeding Questionnaire among Black Mothers Living in Ottawa (Canada)

“…Mothers in this analytic sample were part of a cross-sectional study aiming to assess the social determinants of nutritional heath of 6-to-12-year-old children of African and Caribbean descent. The study, including recruitment strategies and findings, has been described in several previously published manuscripts [ 18 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. The study was conducted between January 2014 and April 2015 in Ottawa (Canada).…”