Parents' perception of their own and their child's weight in relation to objectively measured body mass index.

AIM: To examine the association between parental and child body mass index (BMI), and parental perceptions of their own and their child's weight in relation to measured BMI. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1,343 children aged 3-6 years and 1,343 parents from primary healthcare centres and preschool institutions in Sarajevo. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, parental weight perceptions, and anthropometric parameters were collected using a questionnaire. BMI was calculated according to the National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommendations. RESULTS: The mean parental BMI was 25.1 ± 3.8. Overall, 460 (34.25%) parents were overweight and 140 (10.43%) were obese. Among children, 171 (12.7%) were underweight, 790 (58.8%) had normal weight, 159 (11.9%) were overweight, and 223 (16.6%) were obese. Higher parental BMI was associated with lower relative risk of underweight (RRR=0.94; 95%CI = 0.89-0.99; p = 0.021), slightly higher risk of overweight (RRR = 1.04; 95%CI = 1.00-1.09; p = 0.047), and higher risk of obesity (RRR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.04-1.13; p < 0.001). Parental perception of child weight status differed significantly from measured BMI (p < 0.001), with very low sensitivity for child overweight and obesity of 10.5% (95%CI 7.8 - 13.9) and specificity of 99.2% (95% CI 98.4-99.6). Among parents, 100 overweight and 105 obese individuals perceived themselves as normal weight. CONCLUSION: Parental BMI was positively associated with child BMI. Misperception of parent and child weight was common, supporting improved awareness and targeted prevention.