Prospective BMI changes in preschool children are associated with parental characteristics and body weight perceptions: the ToyBox-study

Manios, Yannis; Lambert, Katrina A; Karaglani, Eva; Mavrogianni, Christina; Moreno Aznar, Luis A; Iotova, Violeta; Świąder-Leśniak, Anna; Koletzko, Berthold; Cardon, Greet; Androutsos, Odysseas; Moschonis, George; Toy Box Study Group; Summerbell, Carolyn

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effect of the intervention implemented in the ToyBox-study on changes observed in age- and sex-specific BMI percentile and investigate the role of perinatal factors, parental perceptions and characteristics on this change.

Design: A multicomponent, kindergarten-based, family-involved intervention with a cluster-randomised design. A standardised protocol was used to measure children's body weight and height. Information was also collected from parents/caregivers via the use of validated questionnaires. Linear mixed effect models with random intercept for country, socio-economic status and school were used.

Setting: Selected preschools within the provinces of Oost-Flanders and West-Flanders (Belgium), Varna (Bulgaria), Bavaria (Germany), Attica (Greece), Mazowieckie (Poland) and Zaragoza (Spain).

Participants: A sample of 6268 preschoolers aged 3·5-5·5 years (51·9 % boys).

Results: There was no intervention effect on the change in children's BMI percentile. However, parents' underestimation of their children's actual weight status, parental overweight and mothers' pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity were found to be significantly and independently associated with increases in children's BMI percentile in multivariate modelling.

Conclusions: As part of a wide public health initiative or as part of a counselling intervention programme, it is important to assist parents/caregivers to correctly perceive their own and their children's weight status. Recognition of excessive weight by parents/caregivers can increase their readiness to change and as such facilitate higher adherence to favourable behavioural changes within the family.

Citation

Manios, Y., Lambert, K. A., Karaglani, E., Mavrogianni, C., Moreno Aznar, L. A., Iotova, V., Świąder-Leśniak, A., Koletzko, B., Cardon, G., Androutsos, O., Moschonis, G., Toy Box Study Group, & Summerbell, C. (2022). Prospective BMI changes in preschool children are associated with parental characteristics and body weight perceptions: the ToyBox-study. Public Health Nutrition, 25(6), 1552-1562. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980021001518

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 1, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Apr 12, 2021
• Publication Date: 2022-06
• Deposit Date: Sep 6, 2024
• Journal: Public Health Nutrition
• Print ISSN: 1368-9800
• Electronic ISSN: 1475-2727
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 1552-1562
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980021001518
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2799313