%0 Journal Article
%T Question order in the assessment of misperception of physical activity
%A Catherine Bolman
%A Lilian Lechner
%A Marius van Dijke
%J International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
%D 2007
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1479-5868-4-42
%X In an experiment (n = 521), quantified self-report and subjective assessment were manipulated in a questionnaire. In one version, the quantified self-report was presented before the subjective assessment, whereas in the other version, the subjective assessment came first.Neither subjective assessment nor overestimation of physical activity were biased by the order of the questions. Underestimation was more prevalent among subgroups of the group which answered the subjective assessment after the quantified self-report.Question order in questionnaires does not seem to influence misperceptions concerning physical activity in groups relevant for health education (overestimators: those who do not meet the guidelines for physical activity while rating their physical activity as sufficient or high). The small order effect found in underestimators is less relevant for health education because this subgroup already meets the guideline and therefore does not need to change behaviour.Studies show that people often have misperceptions about the health-related behaviours they engage in [1-12]. People usually assume that their behaviour is adequate to prevent disease even if in reality it does not meet the health guidelines. Studies have shown that people often overestimate their physical activity level [5-7] and their fruit and vegetable consumption [8-10], but underestimate their fat intake [11] and alcohol consumption [4]. Misperceptions often relate to behaviours for which there is no obvious dividing line between what is healthy or unhealthy or adequate to prevent disease [12]. For example, whereas it is well-known that smoking is bad for someone's health, and people obviously know whether they smoke or not, it is less clear what exactly constitutes a healthy diet and when a persons' diet is healthy or adequate to prevent disease.Misperceptions may have adverse consequences for people's susceptibility to behavioural change and health education. According to the Precaution Ad
%U http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/4/1/42