AUTHOR=Butler Éadaoin M. , Derraik José G. B. , Burge Alison , Cutfield Wayne S. , Leversha Alison 

TITLE=Caregiver Perception of Weight Status in 5-Year-Old Children From a Community of High Socioeconomic Deprivation in New Zealand

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.641418

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.641418

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Background: Early childhood obesity is highly prevalent in Aotearoa New Zealand. Little is known about caregiver perception of children's weight status among children of Māori or Pacific ethnicity, or those living in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation.

Aims: To explore caregiver perception of weight status in a population of predominantly Māori and Pacific children and examine potential associations between the child's body mass index (BMI) z-score and their caregiver's perception of their child's body size or health.

Methods: Participants were five-year-old children living in a community of high socioeconomic deprivation and their caregivers. Children were weighed and measured. BMI z-scores were calculated according to World Health Organization standards. Caregivers were asked to assess their child's BMI and health status, and choose a silhouette that best represented their child's body size. Descriptive statistics were performed.

Results: 106 children (>75% Māori or Pacific) were included. Over half (57.5%) had overweight or obesity, with only 16.4% correctly perceived by their caregiver as overweight. These children tended to have higher BMI z-scores than those not correctly perceived as overweight. Caregivers chose larger silhouettes to represent children's body sizes as children's BMI z-scores increased. There was no discernible association between children's BMI z-scores and caregiver perception of children's health.

Conclusions: Caregivers appeared to judge their child's body size in comparison to other children. The normalisation of childhood obesity and infrequent caregiver recognition of this condition in children in communities with a high prevalence may impact the uptake and efficacy of intervention initiatives.