Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of parents regarding childhood weight management and associated factors in Southwest China: a cross-sectional study

Objectives Following the implementation of the Weight Management Year initiative in China, parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding childhood weight management remain unclear. This study aimed to assess weight management-related KAP and the factors associated with weight management practices among parents of school-age children in Southwest China. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from November to December 2025 among parents of school-age children in Southwest China. Parents completed a structured online questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics and KAP related to childhood weight management. Factors associated with poor weight management practices were identified using multivariable logistic regression. Mediation analysis was employed to examine the potential mediating role of attitudes in the pathway from weight management policy, and knowledge to practices. Results Among the 572 participants, 76.2% were female and over half (51.9%) reported awareness of China’s weight management policy. The mean scores for knowledge, attitudes, and practices were 7.83 ± 3.03 (range: 0–11), 34.81 ± 5.46 (range: 13–45), and 43.14 ± 6.38 (range: 21–55), respectively. Rural residence (aOR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.09–2.66), uncontrolled eating (aOR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.13–2.57), lack of awareness of China’s 2024 weight management policy (aOR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.31–3.00), and negative attitudes (aOR = 5.32, 95% CI: 3.45–8.28) were identified as significant correlates of poor weight management practices. Weight management attitudes mediated the effects of policy awareness (mediating proportion: 27.7%, 95% CI: 10.8–57.4) and knowledge (mediating proportion: 69.2, 95% CI: 36.4–189.5) on practices. Conclusion These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted public health interventions that go beyond merely disseminating weight management knowledge, and actively address and reshape parental attitudes—particularly among rural residents, fathers, and children with overweight or obesity—thus effectively translating national guidelines into improved weight management practices at the household level.