The Relationship Between Social Desirability and Reported Dietary Intake in Healthy and Overweight Children

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if social desirability bias existed in dietary recall data of fourth graders and if bias was related to child’s weight status and gender. It was hypothesized that children concerned with social desirability would report decreased total energy intake, percent calories from fat, and servings per day of sugar- sweetened beverages, candies, desserts, and meats, while showing an increase in reported servings per day of vegetables.

Subjects: The sample was a baseline evaluation of 255 fourth graders from rural, East Tennessee. The evaluation took place at the beginning of an intervention called, "Youth Can! Improve Their Diets for a Healthy Heart" at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

Methods: Multiple-pass, computer-assisted 24-hour dietary recalls were administered to each child by trained staff. Social desirability bias was assessed using the 5 question Hays social desirability scale. Height and weight data were measured by trained school nurses according to CDC protocol.

Statistical Analyses: Data were analyzed using ordinary least square regression with the general linear models procedure for kilocalories, percent calories from fat, sugar- sweetened beverages, and vegetables. Multinomial regressions were used for dessert and candy intakes. All analyses were analyzed in SPSS 13.0 (Chicago, IL).

Results: Girls who were concerned with social desirability showed a significant(p≤0.05) association with a decreased calorie intake. Overweight participants concernedwith social desirability were three to five times more likely to report consuming someservings of candy than no candy. There were no significant differences in the percent calories from fat, and intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, meats and vegetables between children concerned with social desirability and those not concerned with social desirability.

Conclusion: It is important to account for social desirability bias when analyzing 24- hour diet recalls, especially among girls who under-report their total kilocalorie intake. With further testing, the Hays short-form may be a valid and reliable measure for social desirability in children.