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

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  • Abdulla Aljunaibi
  • Abdishakur Abdulle
  • Nico Nagelkerke

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

Suggested Citation

  • Abdulla Aljunaibi & Abdishakur Abdulle & Nico Nagelkerke, 2013. "Parental Weight Perceptions: A Cause for Concern in the Prevention and Management of Childhood Obesity in the United Arab Emirates," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(3), pages 1-5, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0059923
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059923
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Youth, 2005. "Preventing Childhood Obesity Health in the Balance," Mathematica Policy Research Reports ce206c664e4e4d95a510b0692, Mathematica Policy Research.
    2. Committee on Prevention of Obesity in Children & Youth of which Robert C. Whitaker is a member, "undated". "Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 655b9b55a39f4db1a879cc8bb, Mathematica Policy Research.
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    1. Danielle R Bouchard & Travis Hrubeniuk & Brian Helsel & Joel E Williams, 2018. "Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass, can be diagnosed by having an appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by height squared that is greater than two standard deviations (SD) or more low," Current Research in Diabetes & Obesity Journal, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 6(4), pages 1-4, March.
    2. Ghanima Alabdullah & Joan Vaccaro & Deborah Abel & Lemia Habib & Fatma Huffman, 2018. "Kuwaiti Mothers’ Perception of Their Child’s Body Mass Index and Their Belief in Early Childhood Dietary Advice," Current Research in Diabetes & Obesity Journal, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 6(4), pages 1-6, March.
    3. Danielle R Bouchard & Travis Hrubeniuk & Brian Helsel & Joel E Williams, 2018. "Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass, can be diagnosed by having an appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by height squared that is greater than two standard deviations (SD) or more low," Current Research in Diabetes & Obesity Journal, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 6(4), pages 59-62, March.
    4. Ghanima Alabdullah & Joan Vaccaro & Deborah Abel & Lemia Habib & Fatma Huffman, 2018. "Kuwaiti Mothers’ Perception of Their Child’s Body Mass Index and Their Belief in Early Childhood Dietary Advice," Current Research in Diabetes & Obesity Journal, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 6(4), pages 63-68, March.
    5. Klaudia Suligowska & Jacek Buczny, 2022. "Obesity in Polish Children and Parents’ Perception of Their Children’s Weight Status: The Results of the SOPKARD-Junior Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-14, April.

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