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Table 1 Characteristics of participating families

From: Explaining the complex impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children with overweight and obesity: a comparative ecological analysis of parents’ perceptions in three countries

 

All

Sweden

Romania

Spain

Families

n = 78

n = 23

n = 25

n = 30

 Person interviewed, first interview, n (%)

  Mother

63 (81)

13 (56)

21 (84)

29 (97)

  Father

9 (12)

8 (35)

–

1 (3)

  Both parents

2 (3)

2 (9)

–

–

  Other person

4 (5)

–

4 (16)

–

 Person interviewed, second interview, n (%)

n = 68

n = 20

n = 23

n = 25

  Mother

53 (12)

11 (55)

19 (83)

23 (92)

  Father

8 (78)

7 (35)

–

1 (4)

  Both parents

2 (3)

2 (10)

–

–

  Other person

5 (7)

–

4 (17)

1 (4)

Child

 Gender (girl), n (%)

47 (60)

15 (65)

13 (52)

19 (63)

 Age at interview 1 (years), mean (SD)

5.5 (1.3)

4.8 (1.2)

5.8 (1.0)

5.7 (1.5)

Interview 1

 Child weight and height measures, derived within ±4 months of the interview at, n (%)

n = 67

n = 22

n = 25

n = 20

  Baseline or close to treatment start

9 (14)

9 (41)

–

–

  After three to six months of treatment

23 (34)

6 (27)

10 (40)

7 (35)

  After nine to 11 months of treatment

27 (40)

7 (32)

11 (44)

9 (45)

  After 15 months of treatment

4 (6)

–

–

4 (20)

  Measured outside the study - had not received treatment

4 (6)

–

4 (16)

–

Weight status, n (%)

 Normal weight

1 (2)

–

1 (4)

–

 Overweight

10 (15)

6 (27)

2 (8)

2 (10)

 Obesity

25 (37)

9 (41)

9 (36)

7 (35)

 Severe obesity

31 (46)

7 (32)

13 (52)

11 (55)

BMI z-score, mean (SD)

3.1 (1.1)

2.7 (0.8)

3.1 (1.3)

3.4 (1.0)

Interview 2

 Child weight and height measures, derived within ±4 months of the interview, n (%)

n = 59

n = 20

n = 23

n = 16

  After three to six months of treatment

8 (13)

6 (30)

2 (9)

–

  After nine to 11 months of treatment

21 (35)

8 (40)

6 (26)

7 (44)

  After 15 to 17 months of treatment

23 (38)

6 (30)

11 (48)

6 (38)

  After 21 months of treatment

4 (7)

–

–

3 (19)

  Measured outside the study - had not received treatment

4 (7)

–

4 (17)

–

Weight status, n (%)

 Normal weight

3 (5)

1 (5)

2 (9)

–

 Overweight

8 (14)

6 (30)

1 (4)

1 (6)

 Obesity

19 (32)

9 (45)

9 (39)

1 (6)

 Severe obesity

29 (49)

4 (20)

11 (48)

14 (88)

BMI z-score, mean (SD)

3.0 (1.0)

2.5 (0.9)

2.9 (1.1)

3.5 (0.8)

Change in BMI z-score between interview 1 and 2, mean (SD)

- 0.06 (0.7)

- 0.1 (0.6)

- 0.2 (0.7)

0.18 (0.5)

Mother

 Age (years), mean (SD)

n = 71

n = 21

n = 21

n = 29

 

38.4 (5.7)

38.7 (6.3)

37.1 (4.8)

39.3 (5.8)

 Born abroad, n (%)

n = 72

n = 21

n = 24

n = 27

 

23 (32)

15 (71)

0

8 (30)

 Weight status, n (%)

n = 68

n = 19

n = 22

n = 27

  Normal weight

18 (26)

7 (37)

4 (18)

7 (26)

  Overweight

29 (43)

8 (42)

13 (59)

8 (30)

  Obesity

14 (21)

3 (16)

3 (14)

8 (30)

  Severe obesity

7 (10)

1 (5)

5 (9)

4 (14)

 Education level, n (%)

n = 72

n = 21

n = 22

n = 29

  University degree

38 (53)

11 (52)

15 (68)

12 (41)

  Senior high school diploma

14 (19)

5 (24)

4 (18)

5 (17)

  Vocational diploma

11 (15)

3 (14)

2 (9)

6 (21)

  Finished compulsory school

9 (13)

2 (10)

1 (5)

6 (21)

 Employment, n (%)

n = 70

n = 21

n = 22

n = 27

  Full-time

25 (36)

13 (61)

9 (41)

3 (11)

  Part-time

26 (37)

3 (14)

5 (23)

18 (67)

  Student

2 (3)

2 (10)

–

–

  Parental leave/sick leave

4 (6)

1 (5)

3 (14)

–

  Unemployed

5 (7)

2 (10)

1 (5)

2 (7)

  Other

8 (11)

–

4 (17)

4 (15)

Father

 Age (years), mean (SD)

n = 68

n = 23

n = 17

n = 28

 

41.0 (5.7)

40.7 (6.7)

39.6 (6.1)

42.1 (4.5)

 Born abroad, n (%)

n = 64

n = 22

n = 17

n = 25

 

18 (28)

13 (59)

0 (0)

5 (20)

 Weight status, n (%)

n = 64

(n = 22)

(n = 16)

(n = 26)

  Normal weight

9 (14)

7 (32)

2 (12.5)

–

  Overweight

25 (39)

7 (32)

4 (25)

14 (54)

  Obesity

19 (30)

4 (18)

8 (50)

7 (27)

  Severe obesity

11 (17)

4 (18)

2 (12.5)

5 (19)

 Education level, n (%)

n = 67

(n = 22)

(n = 17)

(n = 28)

  University degree

26 (39)

12 (55)

6 (35)

8 (29)

  Senior high school diploma

13 (19)

4 (18)

4 (24)

5 (18)

  Vocational diploma

10 (15)

4 (18)

2 (12)

4 (14)

  Finished compulsory school

14 (21)

2 (9)

5 (29)

7 (25)

  Primary school

4 (6)

–

–

4 (14)

 Employment, n (%)

(n = 66)

(n = 21)

(n = 17)

(n = 28)

  Full-time

46 (70)

19 (90)

15 (88)

12 (43)

  Part-time

12 (18)

1 (5)

1 (6)

10 (36)

  Parental leave/Sick leave

2 (3)

1 (5)

1 (6)

–

  Unemployed

2 (3)

–

–

2 (7)

  Other

4 (6)

–

–

4 (14)

  1. Persons interviewed other than parents were grandmother, stepmother and foster parents. In two Swedish families both parents were interviewed. Child weight status was calculated based on available weight and height measurements performed at the most 4 months before or after the interviews. Children’s weight status was classified as normal weight, overweight, obesity and severe obesity according to international age and gender adjusted cut-offs for BMI (International Obesity Task Force, IOTF). The same weight status classifications for BMI z-scores are, for boys > −1.01 < 1.31; ≥ 1.31 < 2.29; ≥ 2.29 ≤ 2.93 and ≥ 2.93 respectively, and for girls > −0.98 < 1.24; ≥ 1.24 < 2.19; ≥ 2.19 < 2.82 and ≥ 2.82 respectively. Parental characteristics are available data from baseline. The parents’ weight status was classified as normal weight (> 18.5 < 25), overweight (≥ 25 < 30), obesity (≥ 30 < 35) and severe obesity (≥ 35) according to the World Health Organization’s reference values for BMI. Other forms of occupation statuses mentioned were seasonal work and housewife
  2. Weight status measurements of 10 children from the Spanish sample were excluded as they were taken more than 4 months before or after interview 1. For interview 2 one additional child’s measurement was excluded for the same reason. Other missing values were due to incomplete data collection
  3. Abbreviations: SD standard deviation, BMI Body mass index
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BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

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