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

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 underreporting 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 underreporting.

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.