By how much do individuals generally underreport food intake when using the 24-hour recall method?

Individuals generally underreport food intake by approximately 25% when using the 24-hour recall method. This discrepancy often arises due to various factors, including forgetfulness, lack of portion size awareness, social desirability bias, and the complexity of accurately recalling all consumed foods and drinks over the past day.

The 24-hour recall method can be effective for dietary assessment, but it relies heavily on an individual's ability to remember and accurately report their intake. Evidence from research indicates that inaccuracies in reporting can lead to a significant underreporting of actual food consumption, commonly estimated around the 25% mark. Recognizing this underreporting is important for nutrition professionals, as it highlights the importance of using complementary methods (like food diaries or direct observation) alongside recall methods to obtain more accurate dietary assessments.