Table 1.
Characteristics of the study sample, by parent+ race/ethnicity.
| Total | White (non-Hispanic) | Black (non-Hispanic) | Hispanic | p value∗ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (weighted %) | n (weighted %) | n (weighted %) | n (weighted %) | ||
| Total | 957 | 667 (64) | 123 (15) | 167 (21) | — |
| Parent gender | 0.2247 | ||||
| Male | 331 (32) | 250 (34) | 40 (31) | 41 (25) | |
| Female | 626 (68) | 417 (66) | 83 (69) | 126 (75) | |
| Child gender | |||||
| Male | 473 (51) | 326 (52) | 61 (48) | 86 (49) | 0.7334 |
| Female | 483 (49) | 340 (48) | 62 (52) | 81 (51) | |
| Parent's perception of the child's weight | 0.0017 ∗ | ||||
| Overweight | 142 (15) | 83 (11) | 29 (29) | 30 (17) | |
| About right | 677 (73) | 473 (75) | 84 (61) | 120 (75) | |
| Underweight | 137 (12) | 110 (14) | 10 (10) | 17 (8) | |
| Parent age | 0.0002 ∗ | ||||
| 18–34 y | 220 (31) | 127 (25) | 31 (38) | 62 (43) | |
| 35–49 y | 508 (50) | 384 (56) | 46 (34) | 78 (44) | |
| ≥50 y | 228 (19) | 155 (19) | 46 (28) | 27 (12) | |
| Child age | 0.9334 | ||||
| 2–6 y | 262 (30) | 189 (31) | 30 (28) | 43 (28) | |
| 7–11 y | 289 (30) | 196 (29) | 41 (33) | 52 (32) | |
| 12–17 y | 406 (40) | 282 (40) | 52 (40) | 72 (40) | |
| Education | <0.0001 ∗ | ||||
| High school or less2 | 289 (38) | 138 (25) | 53 (51) | 98 (69) | |
| Some college3 | 238 (24) | 171 (26) | 37 (30) | 30 (13) | |
| College+ | 427 (38) | 356 (49) | 33 (19) | 38 (18) | |
| Household income | |||||
| <$20,000 | 107 (18) | 36 (9) | 30 (33) | 41 (35) | <0.0001 ∗ |
| $20,000–<$50,000 | 236 (33) | 129 (28) | 38 (38) | 69 (47) | |
| $50,000+ | 543 (49) | 458 (63) | 48 (29) | 37 (19) | |
| Household composition | <0.0001 ∗ | ||||
| 1-parent | 243 (32) | 130 (26) | 66 (64) | 47 (27) | |
| 2-parent | 674 (68) | 515 (74) | 44 (36) | 115 (73) | |
| Number of children in household M ± SD | 2.4 ± 0.1 | 2.3 ± 0.1 | 2.5 ± 0.2 | 2.4 ± 0.1 | 0.6544 |
| Parent or siblings overweight | 350 (35) | 245 (35) | 49 (40) | 56 (34) | 0.6479 |
Note. Boldface indicates statistical significance (p < 0.05). Data are based on a poll that was fielded from October 11 to November 21, 2012, using a nationally representative, randomized telephone sample (including both landline and cellular phones) of households with children aged 2–17 years. ∗ p values for difference is based on the chi-squared test for categorical demographic variables and OLS regression for continuous demographic variables. Significance level p < 0.05. +In this survey, the parent is synonymous with nonparent primary caregiver respondents. 1Percentage of U.S. population estimated with survey weights to adjust for unequal probability of sampling; 2those with a high school degree or GED certificate; 3attendance at a business, technical, or vocational school after high school.