Difference Between Maternal Perception and Body Weight of Their Preschool and School Child Cross-Sectional Study in the Northeast of Mexico

OBJECTIVES: 1) To examine differences between maternal perception of her child body weight (MPCW) and the child’ nutritional status, 2) To verify if the underestimation is more frequent in mothers of preschool children are overweight-obesity. METHODS: Participated 1845 dyads (mother - preschool and school child) from 5 Northeastern States of Mexico. The mothers answered the question, I feel my child is…(MPCW by words) and selected a sketch that represented their child's body weight (MPCW by image). Child's weight and height were measured. For the analysis, MPCW by words and by image was classified as adequate, underestimated and overestimated, and the Chi-square test was applied. RESULTS: Most mothers of preschool children (n = 479, 61.3%) and schoolchildren (n = 628, 59.1) are housewives and living with partner. Maternal age mean was 30.74 (SD = 6.43) and 35.58 (SD = 6.31) for mothers of preschool and school children, respectively. Overweight-obesity were found in 22.1% (n = 173) and 34.3% (n = 365) in preschoolers and schoolchildren, respectively (X(2) = 33.905, gl = 2, p < .001). Underestimation of MPCW by words in children were overweight-obesity was 86.1% (n = 149) preschoolers (X(2) = 797.950, gl = 4, p < .001) and schoolchildren 60.3% (n = 220) (X(2) = 675.783, df = 4, p < .001) by image was 97.7%, n = 169 (X(2) = 298.086, gl = 4, p < .001) preschool children and 87.1% (n = 318, X(2) = 509,779, df = 4, p < .001) schoolchildren. CONCLUSIONS: Predominance of the underestimation of the child's weight was found, particularly in mothers of children are overweight-obesity, and even more notable in mothers of preschool children. It is recommended to design and deliver interventions to promote accurate MPCW, and to know current and future consequences of childhood obesity. FUNDING SOURCES: The Kellogg's Institute of Nutrition and Health.