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A comparison of methods for plate waste determinations.

B A Kirks, H K Wolff

    Journal of the American Dietetic Association
    |March 1, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary

    Weighing food waste is more sensitive than visual estimation for evaluating nutrition education effectiveness. Visual estimation may be useful for informal studies but is less reliable for broad generalizations.

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    Area of Science:

    • Nutrition Education
    • Behavioral Science
    • Public Health

    Background:

    • Plate waste studies are traditional methods for assessing nutrition education program impact.
    • These studies typically compare food waste before and after curriculum implementation.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To compare the effectiveness of two plate waste measurement methods: weighing versus visual estimation.
    • To determine which method is more sensitive in detecting behavioral changes.

    Main Methods:

    • A pretest/post-test control group design was used with 343 students across six schools.
    • Food waste was measured using both direct weighing with gram scales and a 6-point visual estimation scale.

    Main Results:

    • High correlations were found between the weighing and visual estimation methods.
    • The weighing method demonstrated greater sensitivity in detecting differences between groups compared to visual estimation.
    • Visual estimation proved more challenging to interpret consistently.

    Conclusions:

    • While visual estimation offers convenience, its sensitivity limitations make it less suitable for formal evaluations of nutrition education programs.
    • Weighing food waste is recommended for studies requiring robust detection of behavioral changes and reliable program effectiveness data.

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