A 3-year Longitudinal Study of Effects of Maternal Perception of Children’s Ideal Body Image on Child Weight Change: The Children Obesity Study in China Mega-cities (P21-061-19)

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study examined: 1) prevalence of overweight and obesity (ov/ob) in children and maternal perception of children’s ideal body image in China, 2) associations between maternal perception of children’s ideal body image and changes in children’s body mass index (BMI) over 3 years. MethodsThe Children Obesity Study in China Mega-cities is a NIH-funded cohort study and includes Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Nanjing and Chengdu across China. Data have been collected from school children, their parents and school in 2015 to 2017 (3298 children). Maternal perception of ideal body image of children, child lifestyle behaviors were assessed using questionnaires; child weight and height were measured in schools. The longitudinal analysis included 1691 children (had >= two BMI measurements) aged 6–18 years. ResultsMore boys than girls were overweight or obese (40.6% vs 25.1%). Parents reported very different preferred body shape for boys vs girls (based on sex-specific 8-silhouette body shapes: we grouped 1–4 as thin, 4–5 as normal, 6–8 as overweight). Parents were about 3 times more likely to select ‘overweight’ ones as ideal for boys than for girls (4.3% vs 1.5%). In longitudinal analysis, compared with boys whose parents selected ‘normal weight’ as ideal at baseline, boys whose parents selected ‘overweight’ as ideal were 4 times more likely to develop obesity: OR(95%CI) = 4.06 (2.18,9.03), and they increased their BMI (kg/m2) β (95%CI) = 2.48(1.60–3.36). Girls whose parents selected ‘thin’ as ideal their BMI decreased during the follow-up than girls whose parents selected ‘normal weight’ as ideal: β (95%CI) = −0.46(−0.80, −0.11). ConclusionsChinese parents preferred heavier body shape for boys and thinness for girls. This has contributed to the much higher overweight/obesity rates in boys than girls in China. Parents’ ideal body image regarding their children affects their children’s weight change. Funding SourcesThe US National Institutes of Health (NIH U54HD070725). Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs▪