The gap between parental perception and actual dietary habits of younger school-age children in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina

This study aimed to determine the nutritional status and dietary habits of younger school age children and to assess the accuracy of parental perception regarding their children’s eating behaviours. A total of 300 children aged 7–11 years from northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in this cross sectional study. Nutritional status was evaluated using anthropometric measurements and age and sex specific body mass index (BMI) percentile curves. Dietary habits were assessed using an anonymous, adapted, structured questionnaire consisting of 24 questions, incorporating a 24-hour dietary recall and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The questionnaires were independently completed by both children and their parents to assess self-reported dietary intake and eating behaviours. Overall, 60.6% of children were classified as having normal body weight, while 8.7% were underweight, 17.0% were overweight, and 13.7% were obese. According to dietary habits evaluated relative to the USDA MyPlate guidelines (USDA, 2019), 81.3% of children consumed breakfast daily, 69.8% had three meals per day, 52.9% consumed two or more servings of fruit, and 83.7% reported water as their primary beverage. However, 52.9% consumed only one serving of vegetables daily, 51.0% consumed less than 250 mL of milk per day, 69.3% had insufficient meat intake, and 46.7% consumed sweets and snacks daily. Statistically significant differences between children’s and parents’ responses were identified in 79% of the assessed items. These findings indicate a substantial discrepancy between parental perceptions and children’s self-reported dietary intake, emphasizing the need for targeted nutritioneducation programmes for both children and parents to support healthier eating habits.