title: Imprecise methods may both obscure and aggravate a relation between fat and breast cancer.
abstract: Bias in diet reporting may be both random and non-random, and may be found with simpler as well as more advanced dietary instruments. A random bias will contribute to obscure relations between diet and disease. A systematic bias may obscure or aggravate such associations. Underreporting of non-protein energy has been found to be substantial, particularly among those who are obese or have high dietary intakes. Such a non-random bias on the group level would tend to aggravate associations between dietary non-protein and disease. Whether the net result of the random and non-random bias aggravates or obscures relations depends on the relative magnitude of the two.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit for Dietary Studies, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen, Denmark. BLH@ipm.hosp.dk
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Heitmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frederiksen
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012650:Self Disclosure
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins