N08019: Dietary assessment tools for use with children – assessment of perception and conceptualisation of portion sizes by children aged 4-16 years using three media
Wednesday 12 May 2004
This research project aims to measure the ability of children to perceive, conceptualise and report food portion sizes from memory using specially designed tools.
Background
A weighed record is often regarded as the 'gold standard' for dietary assessment, but its use is not always appropriate or practical, not least because of its burden on survey participants.
Other dietary assessment methods require the use of standard portion size information or tools that provide estimates of portion size. Such tools have been developed for use with adults (e.g. Food Portion Sizes A Photographic Atlas) but little work has been done on the ability of children to estimate portion sizes and no tools are available for this group.
Research Approach
Three portion size assessment tools were developed based on different media – photographs, models and interactive computer software. These tools were pilot tested in children aged 4-16 years for acceptability and used to test children's perception and conceptualisation of portion size and their ability to report portion size from memory.
The project will make recommendations as to the most appropriate tools to use in each age group.