Table 2

American reports of daily recommended energy requirements

Knowledge of energy requirements

Moderately active men

Moderately active women

Inactive adults

< 1500 kcal

1500 to < 3000 kcal

> 3000 kcal

< 1500 kcal

1500 to < 3000 kcal

> 3000 kcal

< 1500 kcal

1500 to < 3000 kcal

> 3000 kcal

Total

8

78

14

26

69

5

60

35

5

Gender

Female

6

79

15

31

65

4

73

25

2

Male

10

76

14

20

74

5

48

44

8

P-value

0.276

0.082

<0.001

Race

7

83

10

23

74

3

64

34

2

White

7

83

10

23

74

3

64

34

2

Black

14

65

21

43

49

7

59

28

13

Hispanic

14

60

26

30

64

6

55

35

10

P-value

0.001

0.012

<0.001

Age, y

18-44

5

74

21

19

73

8

52

41

7

45-64

9

81

9

28

70

2

65

31

4

65+

13

79

8

39

58

3

73

26

2

P-value

<0.001

<0.001

0.010

Education

8

74

18

36

57

7

52

44

4

Less than high school

8

74

18

36

57

7

52

44

4

High school diploma

12

69

19

31

66

3

63

29

8

More than high school

6

83

11

20

74

5

60

36

4

P-value

0.084

0.156

0.379

BMI category

Healthy weight

7

82

11

25

70

5

59

34

7

Overweight

11

75

14

25

70

5

59

36

5

Obese

7

74

19

27

69

4

60

38

3

P-value

0.295

0.984

0.586

Notes: Numbers may not add up to 100% because of rounding. Data are weighted to be representative of the national population. P-values for chi-squared tests were calculated among demographic and bodyweight categories. Sample sizes vary across categories because of missing data.

Bleich and Pollack BMC Public Health 2010 10:121   doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-121