DOI: 10.5061/dryad.8pk0p2nnc
title: Factors affecting perception of child weight

description: Background Parental misperception and underestimation of their child’s
 weight are documented in studies. Demographic factors like age and gender
 have been linked to misclassification. However, modifiable factors that
 could potentially frame future intervention and prevention strategies have
 not been explored. This study aimed to assess factors that could predict
 parental misclassification of their preschool child’s weight. Methods This
 was a cross-sectional study with 198 parents and their 2- to 5-year-old
 children who attended standalone preschools or childcare centers with
 preschools. Parents completed a questionnaire that asked about demographic
 features, personal and family health, and the assessment of their child’s
 weight using the three most frequently utilized measures. Logistic
 regression was conducted to assess the association between parental
 factors and child weight classification status. Instruments included the
 Parental Self-Efficacy for Promoting Healthy Physical Activity and Dietary
 Behaviors in Children Scale (PSEPAD), the Obesity Risk Scale (ORK-10), and
 the Adolescent Obesity Risk Scale (AORK). Analyses included frequencies,
 chi-square tests, Kappa coefficients, and logistic regressions. Results
 Parents were least accurate (35.9%) identifying child weight when
 selecting a picture (κ =-.028, p = .42). The pictorial and Likert method
 (κ = -.032, p = .37) showed parental agreement with child weight was not
 significantly better than chance. Statistically, a significant agreement
 was found in the weight-reporting method (κ = .21). Two of the three
 HBM-related measures were significantly related to accurate
 classification. Logistic regression showed child sex, PSEPAD scores, and
 ORK-10 scores were statistically significant predictors in the Likert
 method. The model had no statistical significance for the pictorial or
 weight-reporting method. Conclusion Results indicate parents support
 intervening if aware of child weight problems. However, parents do not
 accurately recognize healthy versus unhealthy weights and report that
 health providers are not informing them of weight deviations. Further,
 important relationships between the HBM variables were identified. Results
 show barriers (self-efficacy) mediate the impact of perceived severity
 (knowledge) regarding the parental ability to assess child weight
 accurately. These relationships and incorporation of the HBM principles of
 barriers and severity into prevention/intervention strategies need further
 exploration.
description: This was a cross-sectional study with 198 parents and their 2- to
 5-year-old children who attended standalone preschools or childcare
 centers with preschools. Parents completed a questionnaire that asked
 about demographic features, personal and family health, and the assessment
 of their child’s weight using the three most frequently utilized
 measures.  Logistic regression was conducted to assess the association
 between parental factors and child weight classification status.
 Instruments included the Parental Self-Efficacy for Promoting Healthy
 Physical Activity and Dietary Behaviors in Children Scale (PSEPAD), the
 Obesity Risk Scale (ORK-10), and the Adolescent Obesity Risk Scale (AORK).
 Analyses included frequencies, chi-square tests, Kappa coefficients, and
 logistic regressions.
description: <b>Early Childhood and
 Family Health Questionnaire</b> <b>Coding
 Guide</b>   
 <b>QUESTION</b> <b>FIELD</b>
 
 <b>DESCRIPTION</b> <b>TYPE</b>
 
 <b>COLUMNS</b> <b>EXPECTED
 RANGE</b> <b>CODES</b>
 N/A ID
 Assigned ID
 Number Text
 NA
 ####
 A-Z and
 Number (i.e. A001) 
 N/A 
 CHCLASS Child
 Classification based on actual weight/height 
 Categorical #
 1-4
 
 1=Underweight 2=Health weight
 3=Overweight 4=Obese
   
 4 CHID
 Unique child
 identifier Text
 NA
 ###
 NA
   
 LBCLASS Is parental
 classification in pounds correct or incorrect? 
 
 Categorical #
 1-2
 
 0=Incorrect 1=Correct 
 7 
 PICTURE Picture that
 represents child 
 Categorical ##
 1-7
 1= Very
 underweight 2= Underweight 3=
 Slightly underweight 4=Healthy weight
 5= Slightly overweight 6= Overweight
 7= Obese 
   
 PICLASS    
 Is parental
 picture selection correct or incorrect 
 Categorical ##
 1
 
 0=Incorrect 1=Correct 
   PTYPE
       
 Classification
 of parent selection versus actual child weight 
 
 Categorical #
 1-3
 1=
 Correct 2 = Underestimation 3 =
 Overestimation 
   PICCAT
     Categorization
 of picture selection 1-4. Code picture 1-2 as underweight (1). 3-4 as
 healthy weight (2). 5-6 as overweight (3), and 7 as obese (4)
 
 Categorical #
 1-4
 1 =
 Underweight 2 = Healthy weight 3 =
 Overweight 4 = Obese 
 10 CBMI
 Child’s
 BMI 
 Continuous ##
 0-32
 NA
   
 PERCENT Percentile of
 child weight 
 Continuous ##
 0-99
 NA
   CBMIC
      
   Child’s BMI by
 age category 
 Categorical #
 1-4
 
 1=Underweight 2=Health weight
 3=Overweight 4=Obese
   Varies by age. 
 11 CLIKE
      
   Description of
 child weight by Likert scale 
 Categorical #
 1-5
 1= Very
 Underweight 2= Underweight 3=
 Healthy weight 4= Overweight 5=
 Obese   
   
 LIKCLASS    
 Is description
 of child weight by Likert accurate? 
 Categorical #
 1-2
 
 0=Incorrect 1=Correct 
   
 LIKTYPE    
   Classification
 of parent selection versus actual child weight. 
 
 Categorical #
 1-3
 1 =
 Correct 2 = Underestimation 3 =
 Overestimation 
   LIKCAT
     Categorization
 of Likert on scale. Code Likert to 1-2 as underweight (1), 3 as healthy
 weight (2), 4 as overweight (3), and 5 as obese (4) 
 
 Categorical #
 1-4
 1 =
 Underweight 2 = Healthy weight 3 =
 Overweight 4 = Obese 
 12 
 CONCERN    
     Concern of child
 overweight in future 
 Ordinal #
 1-5
 1=
 Unconcerned 2= A little concerned 3=
 Concerned 4= Fairly concerned 5=
 Very concerned 
 13 
 NCONCERN    
   Concern of child
 in nation being overweight 
 Ordinal #
 1-5
 1=
 Unconcerned 2= A little concerned 3=
 Concerned 4= Fairly concerned 5=
 Very concerned 
 20 HCPW
       
 Health care
 provider mentioned child overweight Binary
 #
 0-1
 0 = No
 1 = Yes 
 21 CHCPOW
 If told
 overweight, how concerned would be?  
 Binary
 #
 1-5
 1= Not at all
 concerned 2=Slightly concerned
 3=Somewhat concerned 4= Moderately
 concerned 5= Extremely concerned
   
 22 CHCPO
      
     If told obese,
 how concerned would be?    
 
 Ordinal #
 1-5
 1= Not at all
 concerned 2=Slightly concerned
 3=Somewhat concerned 4= Moderately
 concerned 5= Extremely concerned
   
 23 LTDS
      
   Likelihood to do
 something about it 
 Ordinal #
 1-5
 1=Not
 likely 2=Slightly likely 3=Somewhat
 likely 4=Moderately likely
 5=Extremely likely 
 24 
 CONTROL    
   Control
 overweight weight of 2-5-year-old 
 Ordinal #
 1-5
 1=No
 control 2= Slight control 3=Some
 control 4=Moderate control 5=Extreme
 control 
   PBMIC
      
     Adult BMI
 Category 
 Categorical #
 1-4
 1= Below 18.5
 (Underweight) 2= 18.5-24.9 (Normal or Healthy
 Weight) 3 = 25-29.9 (Overweight) 4 =
 30.0 and Above (Obese) 
 34 PLIKE
       
 Describe own
 weight by Likert scale 
 Categorical #
 1-4
 
 1=Underweight 2=Healthy weight
 3=Overweight 4=Obese 
   PRIGHT
       
 Is parental
 description of weight by Likert scale accurate? 
 
 Categorical #
 1-2
 
 0=Incorrect 1=Correct 
 35 NDX
     Number of adult
 diagnoses selected 
 Numerical #
 0-5
 NA
   OWEX
     Exposure to
 overweight in family Binary
 #
 0-1
 0=No
 1=Yes   
   OEX
 Exposure to
 obesity in family Binary
 #
 0-1
 0=No
 1=Yes   
 Knowledge scale 
 ORKT
 Total of ORK-10
 score on knowledge scale 
 Numerical ##
 0-10
 NA
 Knowledge scale 2 
 AORK
 Total score of
 10 on AORK knowledge scale 
 Ordinal ##
 0-10
 NA
 PSE PSET
 Total parental
 self-efficacy score 
 Ordinal ###
 0-160
 NA