Women’s weight self-perception and perception of their children’s weight

MONTERO, PILAR; MOLINA, MCB; PERIM DE FARIA, C; VALADAO CADE, N; RODRÍGUEZ LÓPEZ, SANTIAGO

Revista Española de Antropología Física

Sociedad Española de Antropología Física

Lugar: Madrid; Año: 2012 vol. 33 p. 11 - 20

2253-9921

Different socio-cultural factors might affect parental perception of children’s nutritional condition. The purpose of this study is to identify factors related to women’s weight self-perception, and its association with the perception they have of their children’s nutritional condition. This is a cross-sectional study based on 1249 mother-children pairs from Vitória/ES-Brazil. Surveys were conducted in schools and households. Logistic regression models showed that mothers with low educational level underestimated their own weight. Misperception of children’s weight was dependent on their gender but not on mother’s educational level. Model-based findings suggest that mothers’ weight underestimation is a risk factor in the underestimation of their sons’ weight, but not in their daughters’. Results show that children gender is an important factor on mothers’ perception of children’s weight.