Intrusions in Children's Dietary Recalls: The Roles of BMI, Sex, Race, Interview Protocol, and Social Desirability

Abstract

Dietary‐reporting validation study data and school foodservice production records were used to examine intrusions (reports of uneaten items) in school meals in 24‐h recalls. Fourth‐grade children [20 low‐BMI (≥5th and <50th percentiles); 20 high‐BMI (≥85th percentile); 50% boys; 75% black] were each observed eating two school meals (breakfast, lunch) and interviewed about the prior 24 h that evening (24E) or the previous day the next morning (PDM). Social desirability was assessed. Intrusions were classified as stretches (on meal tray), internal confabulations (in school foodservice environment but not on meal tray), and external confabulations (not in school foodservice environment). For breakfast, reported items were less likely to be intrusions for black than white children, and for low‐BMI boys than the other BMI‐×‐sex groups, and to be external confabulations for high‐BMI girls than high‐BMI boys. For lunch, reported items and intrusions were more likely to be stretches for 24E than PDM interviews. As social desirability increased, fewer items were reported for breakfast, and reported items and intrusions were more likely to be internal confabulations for lunch. For breakfast, compared to low‐BMI girls, as social desirability increased, intruded amounts were larger for high‐BMI boys and smaller for high‐BMI girls. For lunch, intruded amounts were smaller for high‐BMI girls than the other BMI‐×‐sex groups. Amounts reported were smaller for stretches than internal confabulations and external confabulations for breakfast, and external confabulations for lunch. To better understand intrusions, dietary‐reporting validation studies are needed with larger samples by BMI‐group, sex, and race.