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Social desirability and self-reported weight and height

International Journal of Obesity volume 24, pages 663–665 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

The present study examines the relationship between the desire to conform to perceived societal norms and the misreporting of weight and height. Self-reported and measured weights and heights for 56 young, healthy non-obese volunteers were assessed and compared to scores on the Marlowe Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS). Discrepancies between actual and self-reported weights for females were directly related to actual weight (r=0.66, P<0.0001). The same was not true for males (r=0.03). Height was significantly overreported, regardless of gender (P<0.004). Most importantly, for females, MCSDS scores were significantly correlated with the discrepancy between actual and self-reported weights after statistically adjusting for differences in actual weight (r=0.51, P<0.0001). Results suggest that the misreporting of weight among young, non-obese women may be directly influenced by the desire to conform to perceived societal norms.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by an institutional training grant from the NIMH (MH18822); by the Center for Psychoneuroimmunology Research through a grant from the Fetzer Institute; and by a General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) grant, 5 MO1 RR00044 from the National Center for Research Resources, NIH.

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  1. The Center for Psychoneuroimmunology Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA

    MR Larson

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Larson, M. Social desirability and self-reported weight and height. Int J Obes 24, 663–665 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801233

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