Relationship between parent perception of child anthropometric phenotype and body mass index change among children with developmental disabilities

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 phe-notype 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.