Community Engagement Approach to address Parental Perceptions of Their Children's Weight Status among Low-Income Hispanic Populations

Childhood obesity disproportionately affects low-income Hispanic children. Parental misperception of their children’s weight status is a public health concern since it could limit parental willingness to participate and acknowledge the importance of early interventions to prevent the disease.

The goal of this project was to assess the potential differences in mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of their children’s weight status and parenting styles in order to develop a culturally-appropriate childhood obesity intervention for Hispanic parents.

Two focus groups (6 mothers/6 fathers) with Hispanic parents of at least one girl and one boy (aged ≤10 years old) were conducted in Nashville, Tennessee. A semi-structured interview guide was used to facilitate the discussion focused on common knowledge about childhood obesity, prevention, and parenting styles including barriers and facilitators.

Overall, mothers appeared to be more concerned about their children’s weight than fathers. However, fathers expressed more concern about the girls’ weight status compared to the boys’ under the rationale that “boys will outgrow obesity.” We obtained themes to identify potential barriers related to beliefs and practices about nutrition and physical activity. The information was presented to a Community Advisory Board to provide unique expertise for the development of a childhood obesity prevention initiative using a community-engaged research approach.

Improving parental awareness of their child’s weight status could support potential interventions to prevent and overcome childhood obesity. Preventive measures focusing on policies promoting healthy diets and physical activity should start at an early stage to mitigate overweight and obesity-related health conditions later on in life.