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Under-reporting of energy intake in the Canadian Community Health Survey

by Didier Garriguet

Abstract

Background

Under-reporting of food consumption is a recurrent challenge for nutrition surveys. Past research suggests that under-reporting tends to be most pronounced among overweight and obese people.

Data and methods

Data from 16,190 respondents to the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS 2.2)—Nutrition were used to estimate under-reporting of food intake for the population aged 12 or older in the 10 provinces. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the impact of different characteristics on under-reporting.

Results

Average under-reporting of energy intake was estimated at 10%. Under-reporting was greater among people who were overweight or obese, those who were physically active, adults compared with teenagers, and women compared with men.

Interpretation

Under-reporting of energy intake is not random and varies by key health determinants. Awareness of the characteristics associated with under-reporting is important for users of nutrition data from the CCHS 2.2.

Keywords

Caloric intake, diet, food habits, energy expenditure, energy metabolism, nutrition surveys, twenty-four hour recall

Findings

Data collection is particularly challenging in nutrition surveys. The majority of studies based on data from such surveys have revealed a problem with under-reporting; that is, respondents tend to report that they ate and drank less than they actually did. [Full text]

Author

Didier Garriguet (1-613-951-7187; didier.garriguet@statcan.gc.ca) is with the Health Information and Research Division at Statistics Canada, Ottawa, On K1A 0T6.