Anne babalarin çocuklarinin kilolari hakkindaki algilari

Objective: This study was conducted to compare children’s actual weight status with their mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions. Method: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 740 children in grades 1 to 5, 736 mothers and 712 fathers of these children were included. Children’s weight and height were measured and BMIs were calculated. Result: Children’s actual weight status (8% underweight and 20.1% overweight or obese) was different from mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions (p < 0.05). Parents were more likely to perceive the actual weight as being underweight than as being overweight or obese. Factors such as parental age, parental body mass indexes, child gender, child age were not associated with parental ability to perceive their children weight status accurately. Conclusion: Most of the parents have not recognized the overweight or obesity in their children. Nurses should developed appropriate and effective strategies to help parents recognize their children’s actual weight status. Preventing the parental misperception about their overweight or obese children as underweight or healthy by education could lead to achievement of healthy life-styles regarding nutrition, physical activity and time spent for TV watching.