Parents’ Perception of Child Weight Status, Risk Factors and Health Concern of Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The increased prevalence of childhood obesity is becoming a public health concern as it is related to numerous health implications. Parental perception of child’s weight status is an important factor for reducing childhood obesity burden. Parental perception of the risk factors and health outcomes of obesity are important in prevention and management of childhood obesity. However, previous reviews focused mainly on parental perceptions about healthy behaviors to reduce the burden of childhood obesity. Thus, this systematic review was carried out to investigate parental perceptions of their child weight status as well as risk factors and health concern of childhood obesity. A systematic review was conducted and was reported in accordance with PRISMA statement on studies between 2012 and 2017 through a variety of database like CINAHL, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Cochrane Library. However, out of 2,334 articles identified, only 35 studies were included, which originate mostly from high-income countries. The results revealed that parents’ misperception rate of their children’s weight varies from 9.6% to 90%, while parents perceptive that only genetic factors, non-vegetable-consumption or low physical activity and environmental factors are the key risk factors of childhood obesity. Hence, parents’ of obese children estimate their children to be at risk at having hypertension, heart disease, depression, and diabetes. In conclusion, parents have difficulty in correctly perceiving the obesity status of their children. Health care workers should be aware of the parents’ wrong perception of their children’s weight status. The result of this review may be used to develop an effective intervention programs aimed at reducing the burden of childhood obesity which focus on the parental perception of the risk factors contributing to childhood obesity.