Background: Preschool-age children with developmental disabilities (DD) have higher prevalence of obesity than children without DD. This study aimed to explore the relationship between parent perception of their children¡¯s anthropometric phenotype and child body mass index (BMI) z score change over one school year among preschoolers with DD.
Methods: The analysis consisted of a subsample (N = 64) of children with DD from a larger randomized controlled trial to test an obesity prevention program in the childcare center setting. Parents ranks their child¡¯s anthropometric phenotype on a visual silhouette chart on a scale from 1 (underweight) to 7 (obese) and that rank score is compared to their BMI z score change over one school year.
Results: The majority (75%) of parents with an obese child underestimated their child¡¯s anthropometric phenotype while 7% parents with a non-obese child overestimated. Parent overestimation of child anthropometric phenotype status is associated with increased BMI z score change over 1 school year among preschool-age children with disabilities. Conclusion: Parental overestimation of child anthropometric phenotype status was associated with weight gain in preschool children with DD after one school year.
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