What do parents want for their children who are overweight when visiting the paediatrician?

Abstract

SummaryObjectiveThe objective of this study was to determine whether parental preferences regarding primary care weight‐management strategies differ by child age, gender, overweight severity, race/ethnicity or parental agreement that their child is overweight.MethodsA survey was administered to parents of 2‐ to 18‐year‐old children who are overweight at an academic primary‐care clinic regarding perception of child overweight, helpful/harmfulness of having the child present during weight discussions, and dietary‐advice preferences. Multivariable analyses examined factors associated with preferred weight‐management strategies, after adjustment for parent/child characteristics.ResultsEighty‐three per cent of parents agreed that a child's presence during weight discussions is helpful/very helpful, 74% that paediatricians should prescribe specific diets, and 55% preferred specific vs. general dietary advice only (N = 219). In multivariable analyses, characteristics associated with helpfulness of child presence included older child age (vs. 2–5 year olds, 6–11 year olds: odds ratio [OR], 4.6; 95% CI, 1.3–16; 12‐ to 18‐year‐olds: OR, 23; 95% CI, 4–136), male gender (OR, 5.0; 95% CI, 1.7–10) and obesity (vs. overweight: OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.7–12). Characteristics associated with preferring specific diets included Latino race/ethnicity (OR, 5.3; 95% CI, 3–12), older age (vs. 2–5 year olds, 6–11 year olds: OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.1–7; 12–18 year olds: OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.5–10) and agreement that the child is overweight (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1–5) and, for specific dietary advice, older age (vs. 2–5 year olds: OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1–5) and agreement that the child is overweight (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2–4).ConclusionsFindings suggest that weight‐management strategies tailored to child age, gender, overweight severity, race/ethnicity and parental agreement that their child is overweight may prove useful in improving child weight status.