Luciane Simões Duarte1, Elizabeth Fujimori2, Aurea Tamami Minagawa Toriyama3, Claudia Nery Teixeira Palombo2, Ana Luiza Vilela Borges2, Aline Yukari Kurihayashi4. 1. Public Health Nursing Department of University of São Paulo School of Nursing, Brazil. Electronic address: luciane_simoes@yahoo.com.br. 2. Public Health Nursing Department of University of São Paulo School of Nursing, Brazil. 3. Mother and Child and Psychiatric Nursing Department of University of São Paulo School of Nursing, Brazil. 4. Epidemiology Department of University of São Paulo School of Public Health, Brazil.
Abstract
UNLABELLED: Maternal perception and satisfaction with child's weight status are important to detect early and to successfully treat the extremes in weight, especially during early childhood, when the child is more dependent on maternal care. OBJECTIVES: To assess the inaccuracy of maternal perception of toddler body size and its associated factors and to analyze maternal dissatisfaction with toddler body size. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with 135 mother-toddler dyads attending Primary Health Care Facilities, São Paulo, Brazil. Children's actual weight status was classified using body mass index-for-age. Inaccuracy and dissatisfaction were assessed using an image scale. We used logistic regression to identify the factors associated with inaccuracy of maternal perception of toddler body size. RESULTS: Inaccuracy in maternal perception was observed in 34.8% of participants. Mothers of excessive weight children were more likely to have inaccurate perceptions (OR=4.6; 95% CI 2.0-10.7), and mothers of children who attended well-child care were less likely to have inaccurate perceptions (OR=0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.9). More than half of mothers (52.6%) were dissatisfied with their toddler's size and desired a larger child (75.0% of mothers of underweight children, 25.0% of mothers whose children were at risk for overweight and 23.0% of mothers of overweight children). CONCLUSION: The majority of mothers were inaccurate in their perception and was dissatisfied with their toddler's body size. Maternal inaccuracy and dissatisfaction differed by the weight status of the toddler. Attendance at well-child visits was an effective way to decrease maternal inaccuracy, which reinforces the importance of the influence of health professionals.
UNLABELLED: Maternal perception and satisfaction with child's weight status are important to detect early and to successfully treat the extremes in weight, especially during early childhood, when the child is more dependent on maternal care. OBJECTIVES: To assess the inaccuracy of maternal perception of toddler body size and its associated factors and to analyze maternal dissatisfaction with toddler body size. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with 135 mother-toddler dyads attending Primary Health Care Facilities, São Paulo, Brazil. Children's actual weight status was classified using body mass index-for-age. Inaccuracy and dissatisfaction were assessed using an image scale. We used logistic regression to identify the factors associated with inaccuracy of maternal perception of toddler body size. RESULTS: Inaccuracy in maternal perception was observed in 34.8% of participants. Mothers of excessive weight children were more likely to have inaccurate perceptions (OR=4.6; 95% CI 2.0-10.7), and mothers of children who attended well-child care were less likely to have inaccurate perceptions (OR=0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.9). More than half of mothers (52.6%) were dissatisfied with their toddler's size and desired a larger child (75.0% of mothers of underweight children, 25.0% of mothers whose children were at risk for overweight and 23.0% of mothers of overweight children). CONCLUSION: The majority of mothers were inaccurate in their perception and was dissatisfied with their toddler's body size. Maternal inaccuracy and dissatisfaction differed by the weight status of the toddler. Attendance at well-child visits was an effective way to decrease maternal inaccuracy, which reinforces the importance of the influence of health professionals.