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Factors Influencing Parents’ and Children’s Misperception of Children’s Weight Status: a Systematic Review of Current Research

  • Psychological Issues (V Drapeau and V Ivezaj, Section Editors)
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Misperception of children’s weight status is prevalent among parents and children themselves and may impact parents’ and children’s health behaviors. This study was conducted in order to provide a descriptive systematic review of research on factors influencing parents’ and children’s misperceptions of children’s weight status published in the past 5 years.

Recent Findings

Factors studied most often in relation to parents’ and children’s misperception included children’s weight status, gender, and age, as well as parents’ weight status, parental education levels and socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. Most determinants that were found to have a significant influence on misperception in parents also did in children.

Summary

The literature on misperception of children’s weight status is extensive. Most determinants assessed in included studies were known determinants of childhood obesity. Further research should be directed toward better understanding the impact of weight status perception (whether it is accurate or not) on health behaviors and weight gain over time.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Funding

Rosanne Blanchet was supported by a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship. Cris-Carelle Kengneson was supported by masters’ awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Consortium national de formation en santé – Volet Université d’Ottawa. Alexandra Bodnaruc was supported by an Ontario Graduate Studies doctoral award.

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  1. Cris-Carelle Kengneson and Alexandra M. Bodnaruc contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

    Rosanne Blanchet

  2. Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

    Cris-Carelle Kengneson & Ashley Gunter

  3. School of Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

    Alexandra M. Bodnaruc & Isabelle Giroux

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Blanchet, R., Kengneson, CC., Bodnaruc, A.M. et al. Factors Influencing Parents’ and Children’s Misperception of Children’s Weight Status: a Systematic Review of Current Research. Curr Obes Rep 8, 373–412 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-019-00361-1

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