Opinions of Mothers About the Weights of Their Preschool Children and Its Relationship with Their Own Body Perceptions

Abstract

Objective: Misperception of children’s weight status by their mothers, either lower or higher than it actually is, can lead to incorrect nutrition practices and health problems. This study aimed to evaluate mothers’ perceptions about their children’s weight and their own weight and determine the sociodemographic factors that may influence their perception. Material and Methods: The research was a cross-sectional study involving 170 children aged 2-5 and their mothers. For the study, mothers’ and children’s heights and weights were measured; questionnaires containing verbal (5-point Likert type scale) and visual scales (Toddler Silhouette Scale for children, Contour Drawing Rating Scale for mothers) were administered to mothers to understand their perception of themselves and their children. Results: As the children’s weight-for-height percentile increased, the mothers’ accuracy rate in verbal and visual assessment of their children’s weight decreased, making them more prone to underestimate the child’s weight. On verbal scale, mothers of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese children had an accuracy rate of 53.19%, 71.72%, 31.25%, and 0%, respectively, in defining the children’s weight status. On visual scale, these rates were 72.34%, 54.55%, 12.50% and 0%, respectively. Overweight and obese mothers were less accurate than others at verbal and visual self-assessment of their own weight. Verbal and visual self-assessment accuracy rates were 100% and 75% in underweight mothers, 75.36% and 89.86% in mothers with normal weight, 47.46% and 32.20% in overweight mothers, and 34.21% and 23.68% in obese mothers. No significant relation was found between the mothers’ perceptions of their own weight and their children’s weights. Conclusion: We observed problems related to their mothers’ interpretation of children’s weight status. We could not identify any sociodemographic risk factor that could explain the inaccurate perception of the mothers. Since mothers may not be able to perceive problems related to their child’s weight and express them as problems, we recommend that paediatricians measure each child’s height and weight and evaluate their percentiles.