Effect of children’s BMI on the association between parents’ socio-demographic and economic characteristics, and Parental perceptions of their child’s weight status in South-western Sydney: The Growing Healthy Kids Survey, Australia

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundParents’ perception of children’s weight status has been recognised as one of the influencing factors when planning childhood overweight and obesity prevention programs. We aimed to examine whether children’s BMI modified the association between parents’ socio-demographic and economic characteristics and their perceptions of their children’s weight status in South Western Sydney Local Health District.MethodsWe analysed 1,353 parents’ perceptions of their child’s weight status using the ‘Growing Healthy Kids-Population Health Survey’ baseline data. Generalised linear multinomial mixed models were used to determine the associations. Results are presented as odds ratio and associated 95% confidence intervals by BMI.ResultsThis study found that the weight status of about 23% of healthy-weight children, 65% of overweight children and 55% of obese children was incorrectly perceived by parents. Father as the primary parent and parents who completed ≤12 years of school education were less likely to perceive their overweight or obese children as overweight. Parents who lived in more disadvantaged areas were more likely to perceive their obese children as overweight. Parents who lived in moderate disadvantaged areas were less likely to perceive their overweight children as overweight. Parents who had reported an annual household income between $52,000-$103,999 were more likely to perceive their overweight children as of healthy weight and parents who reported an annual household income below $103,999 were twice as likely to perceive their obese children as having a healthy weight.ConclusionThe findings suggest that there may be benefit in designing interventions that focus on improving parents’ misperception of children’s weight status. The groups of parents who should be prioritised for preventive public health interventions to modify the parental misperceptions of their child’s weight status include a) fathers, b) parents who completed ≤12 years of school education and parents who had Trade, TAFE or Diploma as educational qualification, c) parents living in moderately disadvantaged areas and d) parents with low and high household-income.