Who underreports dietary intake in a dietary recall? Evidence from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

This study sought to identify the presence and degree of apparent underreporting of dietary intake in 11,663 Ss in the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 11). Self-reported dietary intake was compared with estimated basal metabolic rate. Results indicated that up to 31% of adults in this sample may have underreported dietary intake. Those individuals at greatest risk of underreporting were less well educated and heavier. The Sex × Race interaction indicated that for both ethnic categories, women were more likely to underreport than men, but the difference between men and women was greater among Caucasian participants. It is concluded that such factors as reduced energy needs, deliberate falsification, and measurement error inherent in dietary assessment contribute to apparent underreporting, and this occurs in a large percentage of dietary data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)