Identification of psychological correlates of dietary misreporting under laboratory and free-living environments

Errors inherent in self-reported measures of energy intake (EI) are substantial and well documented, but correlates of misreporting remain unclear. Therefore, potential predictors of misreporting were examined. In Study One, fifty-nine individuals (BMI = 26.1 ( SD 3.8) kg/m2, age= 42.7 ( SD 13.6) years, females = 29) completed a 14-d stay in a residential feeding behaviour suite where eating behaviour was continuously monitored. In Study Two, 182 individuals (BMI = 25.7 ( SD 3.9) kg/m2, age = 42.4 ( SD 12.2) years, females = 96) completed two consecutive days in a residential feeding suite and five consecutive days at home. Misreporting was directly quantified by comparing covertly measured laboratory weighed intakes (LWI) with self-reported EI (weighed dietary record (WDR), 24-h recall, 7-d diet history, FFQ). Personal (age, sex and %body fat) and psychological traits (personality, social desirability, body image, intelligence quotient and eating behaviour) were used as predictors of misreporting. In Study One, those with lower psychoticism (P = 0.009), openness to experience (P = 0.006) and higher agreeableness (P = 0.038) reduced EI on days participants knew EI was being measured to a greater extent than on covert days. Isolated associations existed between personality traits (psychoticism and openness to experience), eating behaviour (emotional eating) and differences between the LWI and self-reported EI, but these were inconsistent between dietary assessment techniques and typically became non-significant after accounting for multiplicity of comparisons. In Study Two, sex was associated with differences between LWI and the WDR (P = 0.009), 24-h recall (P = 0.002) and diet history (P = 0.050) in the laboratory, but not home environment. Personal and psychological correlates of misreporting identified displayed no clear pattern across studies or dietary assessment techniques and had little utility in predicting misreporting.

Automated summary

The errors in self-reported measures of energy intake are significant and well-documented, but the factors related to misreporting are still unclear. Personal and psychological traits were examined as predictors of misreporting, but no clear patterns were identified across studies or dietary assessment techniques, and they had little utility in predicting misreporting.