N08027 – Portion size assessment tools for use with children – Further development and validation
Wednesday 3 October 2007
This research project aims to produce validated tools for use with dietary surveys enabling children to accurately estimate the portion size of foods consumed.
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). Previous work funded by the Agency has demonstrated children’s ability to estimate portion sizes with different media. This project builds on this work to produce validated tools which enable children to estimate portion sizes.
Research Approach
The project will compare the accuracy of a computer based interactive portion size assessment system (IPSAS) with that of food photographs when used during a 24 hour recall interview and as part of a 4 day estimated weight food diary. These methods for estimating food portion size will be validated against weighed food diaries to see how accurate children’s estimation of portion size is.
Additional Information
This project builds on work undertaken in project 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.