"Bariatric Families"- A New Phenomenon with Unique Characteristics
Background: Many obese children have at least one obese parent, and some of them have one parent who had undergone bariatric surgery (“bariatric families”). The perceptions and attitudes towards child obesity of parents in bariatric families vs. non-bariatric families have not been explored. We assessed how parents who underwent bariatric surgery for obesity perceived their child’s obesity compared to those perceptions of obese parents who did not undergo bariatric surgery.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey by interviewing families in which one or both parents underwent bariatric surgery (bariatric group) and comparing their responses to those of families in which one or both parents had been treated conservatively for obesity (control group). The children of both groups were attending the Obesity Clinic of our children’s hospital.
Results: Thirty-six children (median age 10.6 years, 18 in each group, matched for age and sex) were recruited. More parents in the bariatric group replied that weight plays an important role in determining self-image (p<0.03), and more replied that their child's obesity is a current and future health problem (p<0.03 and p<0.007, respectively, Table 1). Five children (28%) in the bariatric group had expectations of undergoing bariatric surgery compared to none in the control group (p<0.02), with a similar trend among their parents (44% vs. 11%, respectively, p<0.07).
Conclusion: Families in which one or both parents underwent bariatric surgery for obesity revealed different perceptions of their child’s obesity and different opinions about interventions for treating it compared to families with no bariatric surgery.
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Posted 22 Jun, 2020
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On 12 Jun, 2020
Received 10 Jun, 2020
On 20 May, 2020
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Received 19 May, 2020
Invitations sent on 27 Apr, 2020
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"Bariatric Families"- A New Phenomenon with Unique Characteristics
Posted 22 Jun, 2020
On 02 Jul, 2020
On 18 Jun, 2020
On 17 Jun, 2020
On 17 Jun, 2020
On 12 Jun, 2020
Received 10 Jun, 2020
On 20 May, 2020
On 19 May, 2020
Received 19 May, 2020
Invitations sent on 27 Apr, 2020
On 24 Apr, 2020
On 16 Apr, 2020
On 16 Apr, 2020
On 14 Apr, 2020
Background: Many obese children have at least one obese parent, and some of them have one parent who had undergone bariatric surgery (“bariatric families”). The perceptions and attitudes towards child obesity of parents in bariatric families vs. non-bariatric families have not been explored. We assessed how parents who underwent bariatric surgery for obesity perceived their child’s obesity compared to those perceptions of obese parents who did not undergo bariatric surgery.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey by interviewing families in which one or both parents underwent bariatric surgery (bariatric group) and comparing their responses to those of families in which one or both parents had been treated conservatively for obesity (control group). The children of both groups were attending the Obesity Clinic of our children’s hospital.
Results: Thirty-six children (median age 10.6 years, 18 in each group, matched for age and sex) were recruited. More parents in the bariatric group replied that weight plays an important role in determining self-image (p<0.03), and more replied that their child's obesity is a current and future health problem (p<0.03 and p<0.007, respectively, Table 1). Five children (28%) in the bariatric group had expectations of undergoing bariatric surgery compared to none in the control group (p<0.02), with a similar trend among their parents (44% vs. 11%, respectively, p<0.07).
Conclusion: Families in which one or both parents underwent bariatric surgery for obesity revealed different perceptions of their child’s obesity and different opinions about interventions for treating it compared to families with no bariatric surgery.