Psychological measures of eating behavior and the accuracy of 3 common dietary assessment methods in healthy postmenopausal women

Background: Factors affecting the accuracy of reported energy intake (rEI) need to be identified. Objective: Our objective was to investigate the association of psychologica l measures of eating behavior with the accuracy of rEI assessed by 7-d weig hed intakes, a 24-h recall, and a food-frequency questionnaire. Design: Subjects were 26 restrained eaters aged 60.3 +/- 0.6 y ((x) over ba r +/- SEM) and weighing 63.8 +/- 1.7 kg and 34 unrestrained eaters aged 59. 4 +/-. 0.6 y and weighing 64.0 kg. rEI was assessed by using 3 dietary asse ssment methods and total energy expenditure (TEE) was determined by using d oubly labeled water. Calculated EI (cEI) was determined as TEE corrected fo r the estimated change in body energy. Subjects completed the Eating Invent ory. Results: rEI values were significantly lower than TEE values for all 3 diet ary assessment methods (P < 0.05); there was no significant relation betwee n rEI and TEE by any method. There was no significant difference in 100 x r EI:TEE between restrained and unrestrained eaters by any of the dietary ass essment methods. When combined data from the 3 methods were used, 100 x rEI :cEI was not significantly different from 100% in unrestrained eaters (99 /- 6.8%) but was lower in restrained eaters (89.1 +/- 5.3%; P < 0.05). Ther e was a positive relation between hunger and 100 X rEI:TEE (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Low hunger is associated with undereating relative to normal e ating during measurement of dietary intake; high dietary restraint may be a ssociated with a reduction in reporting of consumed foods. Dietary hunger a nd restraint assessed with use of the Eating Inventory may help to identify subjects likely to underreport dietary intake.