Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Mar 16;19(6):3502.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19063502.

Assessment of Actual Weight, Perceived Weight and Desired Weight of Romanian School Children-Opinions and Practices of Children and Their Parents

Anda-Valentina Trandafir  1 , Maria Fraseniuc  1 , Lucia Maria Lotrean  1
Affiliations

Assessment of Actual Weight, Perceived Weight and Desired Weight of Romanian School Children-Opinions and Practices of Children and Their Parents

Anda-Valentina Trandafir et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Objective: Children and parental awareness regarding weight is linked to the development and management of overweight and obesity. The aim of this study is to assess the actual weight, perceived weight, and desired weight of Romanian school children.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 in seven schools from two counties of Romania and included 880 pupils aged between 10 and 15 years old and 665 parents. We administrated confidential questionnaires to the participants, and we measured children's weight and height during school activities.

Results: A total of 61.0% of pupils had normal weight, 7.4% were underweight, and 31.6% were overweight or obese. A total of 66.7% of normal weight children, 56.5% of overweight children, and 40% of underweight children perceived their weight accurately. Regarding parents, a majority correctly appreciated the weight of their normal weight children and only a third appreciated correctly the body weight of their underweight and overweight children. Factors such as body mass index, gender, weight related behaviors, parents' estimation about their children's weight, discussions of weight topics inside family, and bullying, cyberbullying and exclusion from groups were associated with misperceptions.

Conclusion: The study provides useful information for health education activities targeting both children and their parents regarding appropriate body weight management of children.

Keywords: actual weight; bullying; children; misperceptions; parents.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Hsu Y.-W., Liou T.-H., Liou Y.M., Chen H.-J., Chien L.Y. Measurements and Profiles of Body Weight Misperceptions among Taiwanese Teenagers: A National Survey. Asia Pac. J. Clin. Nutr. 2016;25:108–117. - PubMed
    1. Nittari G., Scuri S., Petrelli F., Pirillo I., di Luca N.M., Grappasonni I. Fighting Obesity in Children from European World Health Organization Member States. Epidemiological Data, Medical- Social Aspects, and Prevention Programs. Clin Ter. 2019;170:223–230. - PubMed
    1. Olds T.S., Tomkinson G.R., Ferrar K.E., Maher C.A. Trends in the Prevalence of Childhood Overweight and Obesity in Australia between 1985 and 2008. Int. J. Obes. 2010;34:57–66. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2009.211. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ogden C.L., Carroll M.D., Lawman H.G., Fryar C.D., Kruszon-Moran D., Kit B.K., Flegal K.M. Trends in Obesity Prevalence Among Children and Adolescents in the United States, 1988-1994 Through 2013–2014. JAMA. 2016;315:2292. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.6361. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rietmeijer-Mentink M., Paulis W.D., van Middelkoop M., Bindels P.J.E., van der Wouden J.C. Difference between Parental Perception and Actual Weight Status of Children: A Systematic Review: Parental Misperception of Overweight Child. Mater. Child Nutr. 2013;9:3–22. doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2012.00462.x. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources