Effects of a Web-based food portion training program on food portion estimation.

Area of Science:

• Nutrition science
• Dietary assessment technology
• Behavioral science

Background:

• Accurate food portion estimation is crucial for dietary management and health outcomes.
• Current portion estimation training methods may lack scalability and cost-efficiency.
• Digital tools offer potential for accessible and standardized dietary training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a prototype Computerized Food Portion Tutorial (CFPT) in improving participants' ability to estimate food portion sizes.
• To compare portion size estimation accuracy before and after CFPT training, both within and between participant groups.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-six adults participated in a randomized controlled trial, estimating food portions before and/or after CFPT training.
• The CFPT is a web-based program featuring 23 food items with adjustable reference objects and viewing angles.
• Portion estimation accuracy was assessed by comparing estimated portions to actual weighed portions using nonparametric tests.

Main Results:

• The CFPT significantly influenced portion size estimation accuracy, with notable discrepancies between estimated and weighed portions observed.
• Training primarily led to a shift from underestimating to overestimating food portions, rather than improving overall accuracy.
• Both between-group and within-group analyses indicated significant effects of the tutorial on estimation tendencies.

Conclusions:

• The CFPT demonstrates a significant impact on food portion estimation, though it may inadvertently promote overestimation by correcting underestimation.
• Computerized training programs show promise for cost-effective delivery of portion estimation education.
• Further research and validation are necessary to refine the CFPT for effective clinical use in dietary assessment and management.