Table 4
Mean body mass index (BMI kg/m2) and mean difference between measured and self-reported BMI, by selected characteristics, household population aged 12 years or older, Canada excluding territories, 2005

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  Males Females
Sample size Mean BMI Mean difference Sample size Mean BMI Mean difference 
Measured Self- reported Measured minus self- reported 95% confidence interval Measured Self- reported Measured minus self- reported 95% confidence interval
Total 2,113 26.8 25.8* 0.9 0.8 to 1.0 2,422 26.0 24.8* 1.2 1.1 to 1.3
Age group
12 to 24 years 436 23.2 22.6* 0.6‡ 0.4 to 0.8 437 22.8 22.0* 0.8‡ 0.5 to 1.1
25 to 44 years 688 26.9 26.2* 0.8‡ 0.6 to 0.9 730 25.5 24.6* 0.9‡ 0.8 to 1.1
45 to 64 years† 589 28.5 27.3* 1.1 0.9 to 1.4 668 27.8 26.4* 1.4 1.1 to 1.7
65 to 79 years 325 28.3 26.7* 1.6‡ 1.3 to 1.9 426 27.6 26.0* 1.6 1.3 to 2.0
80 years or older 75 25.5 24.4* 1.1 0.7 to 1.4 161 26.3 24.5* 1.9 1.4 to 2.4
Household income decile
1 to 3 (lowest) 587 26.4 25.4* 1.0 0.8 to 1.3 893 26.5 25.2* 1.3 1.0 to 1.5
4 to 7† 795 26.6 25.7* 0.8 0.7 to 1.0 815 26.1 25.0* 1.1 0.9 to 1.3
8 to 10 (highest) 588 27.6 26.6* 1.1 0.9 to 1.2 508 25.7 24.5* 1.2 0.9 to 1.4
Immigrant status
Immigrant: ( 0 to 10 years in Canada) 91 25.2 24.7 0.5 -0.1 to 1.0 102 23.5 22.6* 0.9 0.6 to 1.1
Immigrant (11 or more years in Canada) 304 27.2 26.1* 1.1 0.9 to 1.3 333 26.5 25.0* 1.5 1.1 to 1.8
Canadian-born† 1,716 26.8 25.9* 1.0 0.8 to 1.1 1,987 26.1 25.0* 1.1 1.0 to 1.3
Leisure-time physical activity level
Active 562 25.6 24.8* 0.9 0.7 to 1.1 478 24.5 23.4* 1.1 0.9 to 1.3
Moderate 550 26.6 25.7* 0.9 0.7 to 1.1 614 24.7 23.7* 1.0‡ 0.9 to 1.2
Inactive† 1,001 27.4 26.4* 1.0 0.8 to 1.2 1,330 27.0 25.8* 1.3 1.1 to 1.5
End-digit preference for weight
Yes 1533 26.9 25.9* 1.0 0.9 to 1.1 1,628 26.6 25.3* 1.3‡ 1.1 to 1.5
No† 580 26.5 25.6* 0.9 0.6 to 1.1 794 24.7 23.8* 0.9 0.8 to 1.0
Measured BMI category (range kg/m2)
Underweight (less than 18.5) 18 16.9 19.5* -2.6‡ -4.9 to -0.4 60 17.6 17.8 -0.2‡ -0.6 to 0.2
Normal weight(18.5 to 24.9)† 751 22.3 22.1* 0.1 0.0 to 0.3 1,132 21.8 21.3* 0.5 0.4 to 0.6
Overweight (25.0 to 29.9) 853 27.2 26.2* 1.0‡ 0.9 to 1.2 701 27.1 25.7* 1.4‡ 1.2 to 1.6
Obese class I (30.0 to 34.9) 383 31.9 30.0* 1.9‡ 1.6 to 2.2 341 32.1 30.1* 2.1‡ 1.7 to 2.5
Obese class II (35.0 to 39.9) 85 36.7 34.0* 2.7‡ 2.2 to 3.3 131 37.1 34.1* 3.0‡ 2.1 to 3.8
Obese class III (40.0 or more) 23 41.6 37.6* 4.0‡ 2.7 to 5.3 57 47.3 42.4* 5.0‡ 3.0 to 6.9
* significantly different from estimate for measured (p < 0.05)
† reference category
‡ significantly different from estimate for reference category (p < 0.05)
Source: Statistics Canada, 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey (subsample 2).