Consistently biased: documented consistency in self-reported holiday healthfulness behaviors and associated social desirability bias

Courtney Bir,Nicole Olynk Widmar

doi:10.1057/s41599-020-00665-x

Abstract

Holiday healthfulness conversations are dominated by overindulgence of consumption and then, largely in reference to resolutions to do better, physical activity, and exercise aspirations. Consistency was found in self-reported agreement with a series of holiday healthfulness statements, across time, holidays (Thanksgiving versus Christmas), and samples of respondents. The largest proportion of respondents displaying social desirability bias (SDB) were found in response to two statements, namely “I will consume more alcohol during the holiday season than at other times of the year” at (63–66%) and “I make it a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight” (60–63%). Cheap talk was tested as a mechanism to reduce SDB in holiday healthfulness reporting, but showed only limited efficacy compared to the control group surveyed simultaneously. Nonetheless, the consistency across time in reporting and SDB are notable in both self-reporting of health-related data and in studying a unique consumption period around the holidays. Healthcare providers and researchers alike seek to improve the accuracy of self-reported data, making understanding of biases in reporting on sensitive topics, such as weight gain and eating over the holiday season, of particular interest.

Highlights

Holiday eating is frequently associated with excess
Due to social desirability bias (SDB), it can be difficult to assure that selfreporting on behaviors including eating, exercise, or even holiday spending, are reflective of reality
The objectives of this research are (1) to evaluate the prevalence of SDB as related to holiday eating habits, with data collected between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays in the U.S and (2) evaluate the impact of a cheap talk statement designed to increase awareness of SDB, and mitigate its impact, prior to the presentation of SDB prone questions

Summary

Introduction

Holiday eating is frequently associated with excess. An average holiday meal in the United States is between 3000 and 4500 calories (Jampolis, 2018), while Americans, on average, eat 2481 calories per day (Rehkamp, 2016). Ma et al (2006) found that during the fall season, daily caloric intake was 86 kcal higher than the spring. An average holiday meal in the United States is between 3000 and 4500 calories (Jampolis, 2018), while Americans, on average, eat 2481 calories per day (Rehkamp, 2016). Holiday season indulgence results in an average annual gain in bodyweight between mid-November to mid-January ranging from 0.4 to 0.7 kg (Schoeller, 2014). Recommendations for limiting or decreasing holiday weight gain include weighing yourself every day (Kaviani et al, 2019), decreasing consumption by reflecting on the exercise required to counteract the calorie count (Mason et al, 2018), and increasing exercise as part of New Year’s resolutions (Hawkes, 2016). Researchers are interested in the behaviors of people during the holiday season. Due to social desirability bias (SDB), it can be difficult to assure that selfreporting on behaviors including eating, exercise, or even holiday spending, are reflective of reality

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Conclusion