Comparing Low-income Mothers' and Fathers' Concern for Young Children's Weight.

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to compare the relationship of mother and father (1) perceived child weight and child body mass index (BMI) z-score, (2) concern for child's current weight and child BMI z-score, and (3) concern for child's future weight and child BMI z-score.
Design and Methods: This cross-sectional study included low-income mothers (n=30) and fathers (n=30) with a young child (3 to 10years old) from the same household. Each parent completed select items from the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) with a trained interviewer. Child BMI z-score was calculated.
Results: There was a significant, positive relationship between fathers' perceived child weight and child BMI z-score (p=0.006) and between fathers' concern for a child's future weight and child BMI z-score (p=0.001) but not among mothers.
Conclusions: Cohabitating low-income parents of young children may have conflicting appraisals of their child's BMI z-score and concerns for their child's future weight, and low-income fathers may be more accurate and concerned about their children's weight.
Practice Implications: Based on findings from this study, healthcare providers including physicians and nurses should attempt to include fathers in discussions regarding their child's weight for obesity prevention, especially in low-income families.
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