EVALUATING FOOD PORTION ESTIMATION: A COMPARISON BETWEEN UNASSISTED AND ATLAS-ASSISTED GROUPS

Abstract

Background: The food portion size estimations determine dietary intake data and the validity of nutritional assessments, but often tend to be erroneous. Existing dietary assessment tools are effective, but not always practical. To address this issue, region-specific food compendiums were designed to facilitate visual perception and promote more accurate assessments. However, there is a knowledge gap about whether a visual compendium of CA foods will improve the accuracy of portion size estimations and which estimation biases will be present. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the visual food compendium specific to Central Asia on the accuracy of portion size estimations. Design: The quantitative cross-sectional research design was used to compare the accuracy of estimations between participants who used the visual food compendium versus participants who did not. Overall, 54 food items and 15 beverages were randomly assigned to study groups for evaluation. Numerous statistical tests were performed to draw valid and reliable conclusions. Study Population: Women and men aged over 18 years and belonging to any race or ethnic group took part in this study. Overall, 128 individuals, with 64 individuals in each group, completed the questionnaire. Results: The participants who used the visual food compendium provided more accurate estimates. The more accurate results were achieved for smaller portions and composed foods, with a tendency to overestimate smaller portions and underestimate larger portions. Conclusion: The developed visual food compendium improved the accuracy of portion size estimations with lower errors and more consistency. The impact of cooking ability was not detected and could be addressed more thoroughly in future studies.