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Maternal Nutrition, Infants and Children

Maternal weight misperceptions and smoking are associated with overweight and obesity in low SES preschoolers

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 66, pages 216–223 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives:

To identify modifiable risk factors for obesity among low socioeconomic status (LSES) children.

Methods:

Cross-sectional data were obtained from 238 4–7-year-old children and 224 mothers from LSES preschools. Anthropometric measurements were obtained; mothers were interviewed about sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, perceptions and beliefs.

Results:

The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity (OWOB) among children was 29.8% based on the new World Health Organization (WHO) growth standard. Prevalence of OWOB (body mass index ⩾25) among mothers was 51.8%. Mean age, sleeping hours, gender distribution and poverty level were similar between normal and OWOB children. Over 82% of mothers underestimated their child's weight status. Of the 62 OWOB children, 74.2% were perceived by their mothers as having ‘normal weight’ (NW) and 8% were perceived as ‘thin’. Mothers perceived 67 out of 158 NW children (42.4%) as ‘thin’ (P<0.001). Mediation analysis indicated that 10% of the effect of maternal underestimation on child's OWOB may be mediated through child's daily sedentary hours (P=0.06). In a multivariable logistic-regression analysis controlling for maternal obesity, knowledge regarding breakfast's importance and child's daily sedentary hours, maternal underestimation of the child's weight status (odds ratio=7.33; 95% confidence interval (CI):2.41–22.37; P<0.0001) and parental smoking (odds ratio=3.25; 95% CI: 1.26–8.40; P=0.015) were the only significant factors associated with OWOB in LSES children.

Conclusions:

Maternal perception of child's weight status and parental smoking are associated with childhood OWOB among LSES children. These parameters can help identify children at risk for obesity. Maternal perception may be amenable to intervention.

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Acknowledgements

This research was conducted in collaboration with JDC-Ashalim Organization–The Association for Planning and Development of Services for Children and Youth at Risk and Their Families, Jerusalem, Israel. Special thanks are owed to Adina Friedman M.Sc, former head of the Community Health Programs in Ashalim Organization, who initiated the project; and to the entire JDC staff. We are thankful to the research participants for their willing cooperation and patience, and to the Ministries of Education and Health and local Municipality for their role in facilitating the project. We thank the administrators, research assistances, coordinators and interviewers Zina Baruch, Miriam Brami, Efrat Radai,Chen Rozalio, Osnat Tangi-Rozental, Maayan Yaccobovitch and Efrat Zach. The study was funded by the following sources: (1) S&P Foundation—Professor Stanley Mills, Barbara Green Kay and Jack Kay (funds received through JDC-Ashalim); and (2) the S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Health evaluation Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, The S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    V Kaufman-Shriqui, D Fraser, H Vardi & D R Shahar

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    D Fraser, Y Novack, N Bilenko, H Vardi & D R Shahar

  3. Ministry of Health, Southern district, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    N Bilenko

  4. Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel

    K Abu-Saad

  5. Ashalim: The Association for Planning & Development of Services for Children and Youth at Risk and their Families, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Jerusalem, Israel

    N Elhadad, Z Feine & K Mor

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  1. V Kaufman-Shriqui
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Kaufman-Shriqui, V., Fraser, D., Novack, Y. et al. Maternal weight misperceptions and smoking are associated with overweight and obesity in low SES preschoolers. Eur J Clin Nutr 66, 216–223 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2011.144

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2011.144

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