Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36859251›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2023

Measuring social desirability bias in a multi-ethnic cohort sample: its relationship with self-reported physical activity, dietary habits, and factor structure.

Wen Lin Teh, Edimansyah Abdin, Asharani P V, Fiona Devi Siva Kumar, Kumarasan Roystonn, Peizhi Wang, Saleha Shafie, Sherilyn Chang, Anitha Jeyagurunathan, Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar and 4 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
43citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
14.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

43 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 71 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. The minimal clinically important difference for the patient activation measure in a culturally and linguistically diverse cohort with chronic conditions.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Trial
  4. Trial
  5. "How do we want to be led?" Team aspirations and adaptive leadership in virtual and hybrid work.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2026
    Article
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  12. Observational
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  18. Advancing virtual and hybrid team well-being through a job demand-resources lens.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Wen Lin TehResearch Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, Singapore. wen_lin_teh@imh.com.sg.
Edimansyah AbdinResearch Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, Singapore.
Asharani P VResearch Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, Singapore.
Fiona Devi Siva KumarResearch Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, Singapore.
Kumarasan RoystonnResearch Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, Singapore.
Peizhi WangResearch Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, Singapore.
Saleha ShafieResearch Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, Singapore.
Sherilyn ChangResearch Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, Singapore.
Anitha JeyagurunathanResearch Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, Singapore.
Janhavi Ajit VaingankarResearch Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, Singapore.
Chee Fang SumAdmiralty Medical Centre, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, 676 Woodlands Drive 71, Singapore, Singapore.
Eng Sing LeeNational Healthcare Group Polyclinics, 3 Fusionopolis Link. Nexus@One-North, Singapore, Singapore.
Rob M van DamSaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, Singapore, Singapore.
Mythily SubramaniamResearch Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, Singapore.
Institute of Mental Health · SGKhoo Teck Puat Hospital · SGNanyang Technological University · SGNational University of Singapore · SG

Funding

National Medical Research Council NMRC/HSRG/0085/2018
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSocial desirability bias is one of the oldest forms of response bias studied in social sciences. While individuals may feel the need to fake good or bad answers in response to sensitive or intrusive questions, it remains unclear how rampant such a bias is in epidemiological research pertaining to self-reported lifestyle indicators in a multicultural Asian context. The main purpose of the current study is, therefore, to examine the sociodemographic correlates and impact of social desirability responding on self-reported physical activity and dietary habits at an epidemiological scale in a non-western multi-cultural Asian setting.

methodsPrior to the main analyses, confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were conducted to determine the factorial validity of a western derived concept of social desirability. Multiple regression analyses were conducted on cross-sectional data (n = 2995) extracted from a nationwide survey conducted between 2019 and 2020.

resultsA unique factor structure of social desirability was found and was therefore used for subsequent analyses. Multiple regression analyses revealed older age groups, the Indian ethnic group, those with past or present marriages, and having no income, had a significantly greater tendency to act on the bias.

conclusionThe construct of social desirability bias was fundamentally different in a multicultural context than previously understood. Only a small proportion of variance of self-report lifestyle scores was explained by social desirability, thus providing support for data integrity.

Indexed as

ExerciseSocial DesirabilityAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFeeding BehaviorHumansSelf ReportAsiaCFAMarlowe-crowneMCSDSMulti-ethnicSocial desirability

Identifiers

PMID36859251
PMCPMC9979418
OpenAlexW4322732950

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.