2018 Volume 76 Issue 1 Pages 6-19
Objective: To examine the relationship of physical condition, behavior and dietary habits of elementary school children, and knowledge and dietary consciousness of parents in an urban area in China, focusing on obesity.
Methods: A self-report questionnaire was distributed among 1,020 parents of children from two public elementary schools in Guangzhou, China in 2015. In total, 814 valid responses were analyzed.
Results: Based on BMI, approximately 20% of the children were found to be obese/overweight, while approximately 17% exhibited moderate/severe wasting. The ratio of obese/overweight in boys was significantly higher than that of girls. Parents did not understand the physical condition of their children. Obese children showed a significantly higher rate of undesirable dietary habits, such as skipping breakfast, eating dinner at irregular times, and high consumption of snacks, soft drinks, and fast food. Children’s physical condition was related to family meals. Children who ate dinner alone had a significantly higher rate of obesity. Physical condition was significantly related to exercise and bowel habits. The dietary knowledge of the parents, which was higher among mothers as compared to fathers, was below 20% level, and it was significantly related to their dietary consciousness (i.e., points of attention during cooking). Mothers with higher dietary consciousness were significantly less likely to have obese children as compared to mothers with low dietary consciousness.
Conclusion: To reduce and prevent obesity among children, it is necessary to provide food and nutrition education for both children and parents in China.
