Underreporting of energy intake and associated factors in a population-based study

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of underreporting of energy intake and associated factors in a sample of 331 individuals from the population-based Health Survey in the City of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Energy intake was assessed by averaging two 24-hour recalls collected on non-consecutive days. Total energy expenditure was calculated by the predictive equation, and under-reporters were defined as individuals with energy intake less than 2 standard deviations from the energy intake/predicted total energy expenditure ratio. Poisson regression was used to identify factors associated with underreporting. Prevalence of underreporting of energy intake was 15.1%, whereas individuals with overweight and dissatisfied with body weight were more likely to underreport when compared to individuals without excess weight and who were satisfied with body weight, respectively. We conclude that these factors should be considered when developing techniques to improve the accuracy of dietary assessment.