Table 3.
Body size perception (actual minus perceived size) by sex, age and weight status among young Hong Kong Chinese children aged 6·1–12·9 years
| Overestimation of body size | Correct estimation of body size | Underestimation of body size | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | n | % | P | |
| Boys | |||||||
| <8 years | 23 | 23·5 | 24 | 24·5 | 51 | 52·0 | |
| 8–10 years | 22 | 18·8 | 32 | 27·4 | 63 | 53·8 | |
| >10 years | 9 | 8·0 | 24 | 21·4 | 79 | 70·5 | <0·01 |
| Girls | |||||||
| <8 years | 14 | 17·3 | 22 | 27·2 | 45 | 55·6 | |
| 8–10 years | 16 | 17·4 | 28 | 30·4 | 48 | 52·2 | |
| >10 years | 11 | 9·2 | 39 | 32·5 | 70 | 58·3 | NS |
| Boys | |||||||
| Underweight | 15 | 68·2 | 6 | 27·3 | 1 | 4·5 | |
| Normal weight | 37 | 17·5 | 56 | 26·4 | 119 | 56·1 | |
| Overweight | 2 | 3·0 | 10 | 14·9 | 55 | 82·1 | |
| Obese | 0 | 0·0 | 8 | 30·1 | 18 | 69·2 | <0·001 |
| Girls | |||||||
| Underweight | 15 | 42·9 | 16 | 45·7 | 4 | 11·4 | |
| Normal weight | 22 | 10·6 | 67 | 32·4 | 118 | 57·0 | |
| Overweight | 1 | 2·4 | 5 | 12·2 | 35 | 85·4 | |
| Obese | 3 | 30·0 | 1 | 10·0 | 6 | 60·0 | <0·001 |