Interviewer BMI effects on under- and over-reporting of restrained eating: Evidence from a national Dutch face-to-face survey and a postal follow-up
Publication year
2012Number of pages
5 p.
Source
International Journal of Public Health, 57, 3, (2012), pp. 643-647ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor
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Organization
SW OZ RSCR SOC
SW OZ BSI OGG
Journal title
International Journal of Public Health
Volume
vol. 57
Issue
iss. 3
Languages used
English (eng)
Page start
p. 643
Page end
p. 647
Subject
Developmental Psychopathology; Inequality, cohesion and modernization; Ongelijkheid, cohesie en moderniseringAbstract
Objectives To determine the effect of interviewer BMI on self-reported restrained eating in a face-to-face survey and to examine under- and over-reporting using the face-to face study and a postal follow-up.
Methods A sample of 1,212 Dutch adults was assigned to 98 interviewers with different BMI who administered an eating questionnaire. To further evaluate misreporting a mail follow-up was conducted among 504 participants. Data were analyzed using two-level hierarchical models.
Results Interviewer BMI had a positive effect on restrained eating. Normal weight and pre-obese interviewers obtained valid responses, underweight interviewers stimulated underreporting
whereas obese interviewers triggered overreporting.
Conclusion In face-to-face interviews self-reported dietary restraint is distorted by interviewer BMI. This result
has implications for public health surveys, the more so
given the expanding obesity epidemic.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Academic publications [238441]
- Electronic publications [122537]
- Faculty of Social Sciences [29483]
- Open Access publications [97530]
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