Parental perception and childhood obesity: Contributors to incorrect perception

Objectives: To determine parental recognition of their child's weight, and to identify the contributing reasons for incorrect perception. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April to October 2010 at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised parents of healthy children aged 5-14 years. An interviewer-based pre-tested questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic details, anthropometric measurements, and parental perception about their child's weight was administered. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression were applied to assess for the risk factors associated with incorrect parental perception. Results: Parents of a total of 330 eligible children were approached, but 305(92.4%) agreed to participate. Of them, 196(64.3%) were mothers and 109(35.7%) were fathers. Overall, 179(58.7%) parents incorrectly perceived their child's weight status. On univariate regression analysis, age (p=0.001) and body mass index of the child (p=0.006) and parental occupation (p=0.018) were significant risk factors of incorrect perception. Conclusion: Marked difference was observed between measured and perceived weight of children by the parents