![[ Visit Client Website ]](images/banner.gif)
Monday, November 2, 2009: 3:50 PM
Learning Objective 1: discuss the relationship between health literacy and perceived efficacy and parents' perception of body weight in toddlers/preschool children.
Learning Objective 2: identify practice and policy changes that support parents in the development of accurate perceptions of their child's body weight.
Background/Significance: Obesity is a significant health problem that is on the rise throughout the world in all age groups and ethnicities, and young children are no exception. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2005) has reported a 40% increase in overweight and obesity in children age 2-5 years in the last 15 years. In addition, the World Health Organization (2007) has indicated that there are 22 million overweight children worldwide between age 2- 5 years. Recent studies in the United States, Europe and South America have indicated that parents often underestimate their child’s body weight. Carnell, Edwards, Croker, Boniface, and Wardle (2005) state that unless parents recognize that a toddler or preschool child has an elevated body weight, the support needed for a child to achieve a healthy body weight may be lacking. This view is disturbing given the body of literature suggesting that parents often have misperceptions of what constitutes a healthy body weight in toddlers and preschool children. Variable correlating to parental misperception of child body weight identified in previous studies have included child age, child gender and parental education level; however, psychosocial variables that may correlate with inaccurate perceptions have not been explored.
Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to expand the knowledge based regarding parental perceptions of body weight in toddlers and preschool children by examining the relationships between these perceptions and parental efficacy and health literacy.
Framework & Methods: The framework for this study was the Revised Health Belief Model (Roden, 2004). This model focuses on health promotion with young families and examines the effect of variables such as efficacy and health literacy have on decision making in regards to child health. The study was conducted using a cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design. Sampling was conducted utilizing a convenience strategy and participants were solicited at a public health department and a private pediatrician’s office. After completing the informed consent process, participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Parental Sense of Competence-Efficacy Subscale, the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults and the Child Feeding Questionnaire. Data analysis consisted of running descriptive statistics, correlations and linear and logistic regressions using SPSS v.16.
Results: Over 1/3 of the children in the current study were found to be overweight or obese (38.3%) at the time of data collection. Thirty-six parents in the sample had inaccurate perceptions of their child’s body weight, with a majority (n=31) underestimating their child’s body weight. In addition, 76.2% of children in this sample who were already overweight were labeled as having an appropriate body weight by their parent. The child’s gender, age, and parental education were factors previously found in other studies to be associated with parental perceptions of child’s body weight. No statistically significant univariate or multivariate associations of child gender, child age, nor parental education with the likelihood that parents would underestimate their child’s weight were found in this sample (p > .05). There was no statistically significant relationship between the parents’ concern regarding child body weight and their perceived level of parenting efficacy or the site where data was collected in either the univariate or multivariate analyses (p= <.05). The relationship between parental health literacy level and concern for child body weight was statistically significant in both univariate (p= .006) and multivariate analyses (p=.007). The odds ratio of 0.98 indicates that parents who had higher health literacy scores were more likely to accurately perceive their child’s body weight. Health literacy scores alone accounted for 7.1% of the variance in accuracy of parental perceptions of child weight in the regression model.
Discussion: Many parents in the current study had misperceptions about their young child’s body weight, which is consistent with previous findings of other studies. This study provides new information regarding a potential link between parental health literacy and perception of child health issues, specifically child body weight. Nurses and other providers can conclude that assessing parental perception of child body weight should be done at each visit, so that common misperceptions can be addressed early. More research is needed on the relationship between health literacy and parental perceptions, but the current research points to the need for routine assessment of health literacy in parents. This would be a crucial step in ensuring that parents receive correct and understandable education on health issues, including body weight, facing their children and families.
Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to expand the knowledge based regarding parental perceptions of body weight in toddlers and preschool children by examining the relationships between these perceptions and parental efficacy and health literacy.
Framework & Methods: The framework for this study was the Revised Health Belief Model (Roden, 2004). This model focuses on health promotion with young families and examines the effect of variables such as efficacy and health literacy have on decision making in regards to child health. The study was conducted using a cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design. Sampling was conducted utilizing a convenience strategy and participants were solicited at a public health department and a private pediatrician’s office. After completing the informed consent process, participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Parental Sense of Competence-Efficacy Subscale, the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults and the Child Feeding Questionnaire. Data analysis consisted of running descriptive statistics, correlations and linear and logistic regressions using SPSS v.16.
Results: Over 1/3 of the children in the current study were found to be overweight or obese (38.3%) at the time of data collection. Thirty-six parents in the sample had inaccurate perceptions of their child’s body weight, with a majority (n=31) underestimating their child’s body weight. In addition, 76.2% of children in this sample who were already overweight were labeled as having an appropriate body weight by their parent. The child’s gender, age, and parental education were factors previously found in other studies to be associated with parental perceptions of child’s body weight. No statistically significant univariate or multivariate associations of child gender, child age, nor parental education with the likelihood that parents would underestimate their child’s weight were found in this sample (p > .05). There was no statistically significant relationship between the parents’ concern regarding child body weight and their perceived level of parenting efficacy or the site where data was collected in either the univariate or multivariate analyses (p= <.05). The relationship between parental health literacy level and concern for child body weight was statistically significant in both univariate (p= .006) and multivariate analyses (p=.007). The odds ratio of 0.98 indicates that parents who had higher health literacy scores were more likely to accurately perceive their child’s body weight. Health literacy scores alone accounted for 7.1% of the variance in accuracy of parental perceptions of child weight in the regression model.
Discussion: Many parents in the current study had misperceptions about their young child’s body weight, which is consistent with previous findings of other studies. This study provides new information regarding a potential link between parental health literacy and perception of child health issues, specifically child body weight. Nurses and other providers can conclude that assessing parental perception of child body weight should be done at each visit, so that common misperceptions can be addressed early. More research is needed on the relationship between health literacy and parental perceptions, but the current research points to the need for routine assessment of health literacy in parents. This would be a crucial step in ensuring that parents receive correct and understandable education on health issues, including body weight, facing their children and families.