Maternal dissatisfaction with their children's body size in private schools in the Federal District, Brazil

Abstract

We investigated the prevalence of maternal dissatisfaction with their child's body size and its associated factors among mothers of first- to third-grade elementary school students in private schools in the Federal District, Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study with 548 mother-schoolchildren pairs. We measured children’s weight and height, and collected their mother’s sociodemographic data and Body Mass Index using an online questionnaire. We also verified maternal body dissatisfaction and maternal dissatisfaction with their child's body size using Shape Scales. Most mothers (50.5%) were dissatisfied with their child's body size. Mothers of boys (Adjusted OR = 2.85) were more likely to want a larger silhouette for their child, while mothers of girls (Adjusted OR = 3.18), overweight (Adjusted OR = 24.83) and obese (Adjusted OR = 189.86) children were more likely to want a thinner silhouette for their child. A positive correlation was observed between maternal dissatisfaction with their own body and maternal dissatisfaction with their children's body size (rs = 0.178). There was a high prevalence of maternal dissatisfaction with their child's body size, particularly among mothers of overweight and obese children. Additional studies should be conducted to better understand the influence of this dissatisfaction on maternal practices and attitudes related to their child’s body, food consumption, and lifestyle.

Association between Parents’ Perceptions of Preschool Children’s Weight, Feeding Practices and Children’s Dietary Patterns: A Cross-Sectional Study in China

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Parental Weight Status, Birth Weight and Depression Signs Influence on Child’s z-BMI

“…The possible reason for this could be the parental perception of child's weight. According to Pedroso et al, mothers of boys are more likely to want a larger silhouette for their child, but mothers of girls are more likely to want a thinner silhouette for their daughters (Pedroso, Toral, & Bauermann Gubert, 2018). Nemecek et al have also noticed that the weight of overweight boys is more often underestimated by parents than the weight of overweight girls (Nemecek, Sebelefsky, Woditschka, & Voitl, 2017).…”

Parent and child influence in body image dissatisfaction: The moderating effect of parent acceptance of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Hence, a parent’s perception of their child’s body image dissatisfaction, and whether it can impact or be impacted by a parent’s own body image dissatisfaction, is important to explore. This perception can not only impact the way a parent feels about themself, but also their dietary and body image-related parental practices, as well as their interactions with their child ( Pedroso et al, 2018 , Webb and Haycraft, 2019 ). Given that parents play such an important role in children’s body image development ( Rodgers & Chabrol, 2009 ), dyadic effects could inform future research on the impact of child-driven influences on parental practices, subsequently informing parent-focused interventions aimed at improving body image dissatisfaction in families.…”