Perceived body image in schoolchildren and its relationship with maternal perception of child body weight and some lifestyle factors in Tehran, Iran

Objective: Obesity and the physical and psychological conditions associated with it are affected by factors including genetics, lifestyle, and body image (BI) perception. Therefore, an accurate understanding of the leading causes of and establishing appropriate approaches to controlling obesity would be important issues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the BI perception in schoolchildren and its relationship with maternal perception of child’s weight and some lifestyle factors in Tehran, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1598 children were categorized as obese or nonobese according to the World Health Organization’s reference charts of body mass index. Collins’ figure rating scale, along with a demographic questionnaire, was used to assess the BI perception and some lifestyle factors in children and mothers of obese children. The relationships between variables and body image were analyzed using chi-square and logistic regression analyses on SPSS (version.19). Results: About 72% of obese and 52% of nonobese children did not have an accurate body image perception. The majority of obese children’s mothers (60.2%) had an accurate perception of their children’s BI. Obese children’s BI perception was significantly correlated with the mother’s perception of the child’s body image (p = 0.005) and father’s education (p = 0.002). Conclusion: It was found that most obese school children had an inaccurate perception of body image. Mothers of obese children had a better perception of their children’s BI. It is suggested that interventions to improve children’s and parents’ BI perception and lifestyle be used in conjunction with other obesity prevention approaches.