Examining Misreporting Bias in Body Weight and Height
Author Information
Author(s): Jonathan R Brestoff, Ivan J Perry, Jan Van den Broeck
Primary Institution: University College Cork, Ireland
Hypothesis
Considering oneself to be heavier than the socially normative weight is positively associated with biases in self-report-based estimates of BMI.
Conclusion
Perceiving oneself as too heavy appears to reduce rather than exacerbate weight, height, and BMI misreporting biases.
Supporting Evidence
- Self-reported weight and height tend to be under- and over-reported, respectively.
- Heavier individuals tend to under-report weight more than lighter individuals.
- Describing oneself as too heavy is associated with a lower likelihood of under-reporting weight.
- Social norms regarding body weight may counteract misreporting biases.
- Underweight subjects had the highest prevalence of accurately estimated BMI.
- Normal range subjects had a weak negative bias in self-reported BMI.
- Obese subjects were the least likely to have accurate self-reported BMI estimates.
- The methodology developed can be applied to other populations for similar studies.
Takeaway
People often lie about their weight and height to fit in, but if someone thinks they are too heavy, they are more likely to tell the truth about their weight.
Methodology
The study used logistic regression to analyze self-reported weight and height data from a nationally representative survey.
Potential Biases
The study may have biases due to self-reporting inaccuracies and the exclusion of certain demographic groups.
Limitations
The study's cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and the population was mostly white, which may affect the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
The study included adults aged 18 and older from the Republic of Ireland, with a majority being white.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
99%CI: 0.3-0.8
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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