Parental Weight Perceptions: A Cause for Concern in the Prevention and Management of Childhood Obesity in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Parental participation is a key factor in the prevention and management of childhood obesity, thus parental recognition of weight problems is essential. We estimated parental perceptions and their determinants in the Emirati population. We invited 1541 students (grade 1–12; 50% boys) and their parents, but only 1440 (6–19 years) and their parents consented. Of these, 945 Emirati nationals provided data for analysis. Anthropometric and demographic variables were measured by standard methods. CDC BMI percentile charts for age and sex were used to classify children’s weight. Parental perception of their children’s weight status (underweight, normal, and overweight/obese) was recorded. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of parental perceptions of children’s weight status. Of all parents, 33.8% misclassified their children’s’ weight status; underestimating (27.4%) or overestimating (6.3%). Misclassification was highest among parents of overweight/obese children (63.5%) and underweight (55.1%) children. More importantly, parental perceptions of their children being overweight or obese, among truly overweight/obese children, i.e. correct identification of an overweight/obese child as such, were associated with the true child’s BMI percentile (CDC) with an OR of 1.313 (95% CI: 1.209–1.425; p<0.001) per percentile point, but not age, parental education, household income, and child’s sex. We conclude that the majority of parents of overweight/obese children either overestimated or, more commonly, underestimated children’s weight status. Predictors of accurate parental perception, in this population, include the true children’s BMI, but not age, household income, and sex. Thus, parents having an incorrect perception of their child’s weight status may ignore otherwise appropriate health messages.

Weight awareness among parents and health care providers in Sharjah, UAE

“…10 Other studies from different parts in the world show similar results. In UK Jeffery N et al in 2014 showed that Mothers often do not realize when their child is overweight and this was a barrier for successful weight reduction programs as the parents will not engage in such programs while they remain ignorant of the problem.…”

Overweight parents are twice as likely to underestimate the weight of their teenage children, regardless of their sociodemographic characteristics

“…The adjusted analyses confirmed they were twice as likely to underestimate their child's weight if they were overweight themselves. fathers than in mothers (3) as well as those with lower educational levels (3) or lower family income (11). The influence of the parents' own weight on the misperception of the children's weight was examined in two studies that included children who were up to five years of age (3,9) and in another investigation with participants aged two to 19 years (12).…”

“…Little is known about the reasons that could explain the low capacity of parents to recognise children being overweight and even less is known about this in children during adolescence. In addition to variations according to the gender and age of children and adolescents , some authors found that misperceptions were more common in fathers than in mothers as well as those with lower educational levels or lower family income . The influence of the parents' own weight on the misperception of the children's weight was examined in two studies that included children who were up to five years of age and in another investigation with participants aged two to 19 years .…”

Is Adolescent Body Weight Associated With Parental Beliefs About Overweight, Attitudes Towards Food, and the Home Environment?

“…With respect to risk perception it might be important to consider whether parents evaluate their children's weight status correctly in the first place. Research showed that between 50-80% of parents of overweight or obese children underestimate their children's weight status (Aljunaibi, Abdulle, & Nagelkerke, 2013;Etelson, Brand, Patrick, & Shirali, 2003;Hudson, McGloin, & McConnon, 2012;Lim & Wang, 2013;Lundahl, Kidwell, & Nelson, 2014). This misperception might hinder parents to take appropriate measures to ameliorate weight status and to prevent potential health problems associated with overweight.…”