ArticlePloS one2020
Parents' underestimation of their child's weight status. Moderating factors and change over time: A cross-sectional study.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers.
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Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 36 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Influence of Parents' Nutritional Education Program on Their Infants' Metabolic Health.Nutrients · 2022Trial
- Effects of Three Different Family-Based Interventions in Overweight and Obese Children: The "4 Your Family" Randomized Controlled Trial.Nutrients · 2021Trial
- Adolescents' perspectives on socio-cultural influences on overweight and obesity in African countries: a systematic scoping review of qualitative studies.Current obesity reports · 2026Article
- Caregiver Weight Misperception and Feeding Practices in U.S. Preschool-Aged Children: A Theory-Based Cross-Sectional Study.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Maternal Misperception of Child Body Size and Its Association with Information-Seeking Opportunities and Information Sources in Japanese Preschool Children.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Parental estimates of children's weight status: evidence from Serbian children aged 6-9 years.BMC pediatrics · 2025Article
- Overweight and obesity and its determinants in primary school students: a population-based study from Iran.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Food motivation and owner feeding management practices are associated with overweight among Dog Aging Project participants.American journal of veterinary research · 2025Article
- Article
- A National School Health Campaign in Lebanon on Children Aged between 3 and 12 Years Old: Concordance Level between Parents' Reports and Medical Visit Findings about Physical and Mental Health.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Perceptions of Primary Caregivers on Children's Weight Status Versus Actual Weight Status in Children Aged 6-15 Years - China, 2021.China CDC weekly · 2023Article
- Psychometric Assessment of an Online Self-Test Measuring Risky Eating Behavior, Depression, Social Anxiety, and Self-Injury in Mexican Adolescents.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Readiness to change among parents of overweight/obese children in Saudi Arabia and influencing factors.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2022Article
- Fitness, Food, and Biomarkers: Characterizing Body Composition in 19,634 Early Adolescents.Nutrients · 2022Article
- The degree of consistency of applying parental dietary and sedentary behavior rules as indicators for overweight in children: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2022Article
- Weight Gain in Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Protective Effect of Lifestyle Intervention in Children with Obesity.Obesity facts · 2022Article
- Underestimation of overweight weight status in children and adolescents aged 0-19 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Obesity science & practice · 2021Review
- Actual Weight, Perceived Weight and Desired Weight of Romanian School Children by Parents and Children.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2021Article
- Parents' perception of their children's weight status in an urban area of Western Greece.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2021Article
- Weight Misperception among African American Adolescents: The Jackson Heart KIDS Pilot Study.Ethnicity & disease · 2021Observational
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundParents' underestimation of their child's weight status can hinder active participation in overweight prevention programs. We examined the level of agreement between the parents' perception of their child's weight status and the child's actual weight status, moderating factors, and change over time.
methodsThis cross-sectional study used data collected in 2009 (n = 8105), 2013 (n = 8844) and 2017 (n = 11,022) from a community-based survey conducted among parents of children age 2-12 years in the Netherlands. Parents classified their perception of their child's weight status on a 5-point Likert scale. In 2009 and 2013, the child's BMI was calculated from self-reported data by parents. The level of agreement between the parent's perception of the weight status and the actual weight status was examined using Cohen's kappa. The role of demographic factors on parents' perception were examined using logistic regression.
resultsIn 2009, 2013 and 2017, 6%, 6% and 5% of the parents, respectively, classified their child as heavy/extremely heavy. In 2009 and 2013, 64.7% and 61.0% of parents, respectively, underestimated the weight status of their overweight child. This was even higher among parents of obese children. Overall, the agreement between the parents' perception and the actual weight status improved from 2009 (kappa = 0.38) to 2013 (kappa = 0.43) (p<0.05), but remained unsatisfactory. The parents' underestimation of their child's overweight/obesity status was associated with the child's age in 2009 and 2013 (2-7 years; OR: 0.18), the child's gender in 2009 (male; OR: 0.55), and the parents' education level in 2009 (middle and high education; OR: 0.56 and 0.44 respectively).
conclusionsParents' underestimation of their child's weight status remains alarmingly high, particularly among parents of young, obese children. This underestimation is a barrier to preventing childhood overweight/obesity. Healthcare professionals should take this underestimation into consideration and should actively encourage parents to take steps to prevent overweight/obesity in their children.
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