Characteristics of women who frequently under report their energy intake: a doubly labelled water study.
OBJECTIVE
We applied three dietary assessment methods and aimed at obtaining a set of physical, social and psychological variables that can discriminate those individuals who did not underreport ('never under-reporters'), those who underreported in one dietary assessment method ('occasional under-reporters') and those who underreported in two or three dietary assessment methods ('frequent under-reporters').


METHODS
Sixty-five women aged 18-57 years were recruited for this study. Total energy expenditure was determined by doubly labelled water, and energy intake was estimated by three 24-h diet recalls, 3-day food records and a food frequency questionnaire. A multiple discriminant analysis was used to identify which of those variables better discriminated the three groups: body mass index (BMI), income, education, social desirability, nutritional knowledge, dietary restraint, physical activity practice, body dissatisfaction and binge-eating symptoms.


RESULTS
Twenty-three participants were 'never under-reporters'. Twenty-four participants were 'occasional under-reporters' and 18 were 'frequent under-reporters'. Four variables entered the discriminant model: income, BMI, social desirability and body dissatisfaction. According to potency indices, income contributed the most to the total discriminant power, followed in decreasing order by social desirability score, BMI and body dissatisfaction. Income, social desirability and BMI were the characteristics that mainly separated the 'never under-reporters' from the under-reporters (occasional or frequent). Body dissatisfaction better discriminated the 'occasional under-reporters' from the 'frequent under-reporters'.


CONCLUSIONS
'Frequent under-reporters' have a greater BMI, social desirability score, body dissatisfaction score and lower income. These four variables seemed to be able to discriminate individuals who are more prone to systematic under reporting.
Scagliusi
F B
FB
Department of Health Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos, Brazil. fernanda.scagliusi@gmail.com
Ferriolli
E
E
Pfrimer
K
K
Laureano
C
C
Cunha
C S F
CS
Gualano
B
B
Lourenço
B H
BH
Lancha
A H
AH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism*; D003903:Deuterium; D015930:Diet Records; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012928:Social Desirability; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013851:Thinness / Q000523:psychology; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D003903:Deuterium