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Assessing Appetite-Validation of a Picture-Based Appetite Assessment Tool for Children Aged 6-9 Years-A Pilot Study
Sigal Eilat-Adar1, Yoav Zeevi1, Efrat Shaked1
1Levinsky-Wingate Academic College, Wingate Campus, Post Graduate Department, Netanya 4290200, Israel.
Insights
This pilot study validated a Hebrew Picture-Based Appetite Assessment (PBAA) for children aged 6-9. The scale accurately reflected children's hunger and satiety perceptions after eating experiences.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Child Psychology
- Dietary Assessment Tools
Background:
- Accurate assessment of appetite cues is vital for regulating food intake in young children.
- The Picture-Based Appetite Assessment (PBAA) is a tool designed to gauge children's perceptions of hunger and satiety.
- Validating the PBAA in different languages and age groups is crucial for its widespread application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate a Hebrew-language Picture-Based Appetite Assessment (PBAA) for children aged 6-9 years.
- To assess the PBAA's ability to capture changes in hunger and satiety perceptions.
- To evaluate children's responses to both story-based and real-life eating scenarios.
Main Methods:
- Part 1 involved 99 children rating a story character's hunger using the PBAA.
- Part 2 (n=46) assessed children's hunger before and after lunch.
- Part 3 (n=55) evaluated hunger before and after unrestricted snack consumption.
Main Results:
- Children accurately identified hunger (95%) and fullness (85%) in a story character.
- Reported hunger significantly decreased after lunch (p<0.001).
- Children preferred highly processed snacks, with satiety not linked to pre-snack hunger levels.
Conclusions:
- The Hebrew PBAA is a valid tool for assessing appetite perceptions in children.
- Older girls reported greater satiety changes after lunch compared to younger girls.
- Snack choices were not influenced by pre-snack hunger levels, highlighting potential external cue influences.
Abstract:
Background: Recognizing and balancing internal and external appetite cues is critical for controlling food intake in young children. The main aim of this pilot study was to validate a Hebrew-language Picture-Based Appetite Assessment (PBAA) for 6-9-years-old children. Specifically, the scale's ability to reflect changes in perceptions of hunger and satiety based on a story and on their actual eating experiences. Methodology: In Part 1 (n = 99), a PBAA was used to rate a character's hunger level according to a story. In Part 2 (n = 46), the child's hunger level before and after lunch was assessed, and in Part 3 (n = 55), the child's hunger level before and after unrestricted snack consumption was assessed. Results: After hearing a story, participants could identify whether a character in a story was hungry (95%) or full (85%) (Part 1). Their reported appetite levels decreased after consuming lunch (p-value < 0.001) (Part 2). When participants were given unrestricted access to snacks, they preferred highly processed sweets with no difference in hunger level before (Part 3). There were no differences between girls and boys except for the reported satiety after lunch, which was greater in older girls compared to younger girls, yet similar between older and younger boys. Conclusions: Participants successfully interpreted the PBAA scale based on the story character and reported lower hunger after eating lunch. Among girls, older age was associated with a greater difference in hunger levels before and after lunch. Most participants reported satiety after consuming unrestricted snacks, which was not related to their hunger level before.
