Efficacy of Portion Size Measurement Aids (PSMA)

February 19, 2014 updated by: Geoff Ball, University of Alberta

Exploring the Accuracy and Acceptability of Portion Size Measurement Aids in Parents of Overweight Children

Portion size measurement aids (PSMAs) are tools that facilitate the estimation of food servings. The objectives of this study are to determine (a) if food portion size estimation accuracy differs when using a two dimensional (2D) PSMA (actual-size photos called Portion Size Cards) compared to a 3D PSMA (Portion Size Kit) and (b) whether differences exist in the short-term usefulness of and satisfaction with these PSMAs in a sample of parents of overweight children and youth. We hypothesize that the group that receives the 3D PSMAs will be more accurate in food portion size estimation and will be more satisfied with the tool compared to the group that receives the 2D PSMAs.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Forty primary caregivers of overweight children and youth attending the Pediatric Centre for Weight and Health (Edmonton, AB) will be recruited. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups (2D PSMAs versus 3D PSMAs). After a brief explanation of the respective tool, participants will estimate the volumes of pre-measured rubber food portion models on a test plate. Participants will then be given the 2D or 3D PSMAs to take home with them to use in the real-world. After 2-4 weeks, participants will be telephoned by the research team to complete a brief survey to evaluate their usefulness of and satisfaction with the 2D or 3D PSMAs at home.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

36

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Alberta
      • Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6K 0L4
        • Pediatric Centre for Weight and Health- Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Participants must be primary caregivers of children or youth attending a clinical appointment for weight management (clients must have a BMI greater or equal to the 85th percentile at this clinic)
  • Participants must be literate and fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any participant who does not meet the above criteria
  • Participants must not have had any previous education or resources on food portion sizes at this clinic

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 2D Portion Size Measurment Aids (PSMAs)
The 2D PSMAs are life-size photographs of the 3D PSMAs.
Behavioral: Portion Size Measurement Aids (PSMAs)
Subjects are randomly assigned to receive either 2D or 3D PSMAs to examine accuracy, acceptability and usefulness of the models. Both groups receive brief instructions on the use of the respective PSMAs, complete an accuracy estimation task, and are given the 2D or 3D PSMAs to take home with them to use for 2-4 weeks, after which the researchers telephone parents to complete a brief satisfaction and usefulness survey.
Other Names:
  • 2D Portion Size Measurement Aids (PSMAs)
  • 3D Portion Size Measurement Aids (PSMAs)
Experimental: 3D Portion Size Measurement Aids (PSMAs)
The 3D PSMAs include foam rubber replicas of a golf ball, a hockey puck, a tennis ball and a baseball.
Behavioral: Portion Size Measurement Aids (PSMAs)
Subjects are randomly assigned to receive either 2D or 3D PSMAs to examine accuracy, acceptability and usefulness of the models. Both groups receive brief instructions on the use of the respective PSMAs, complete an accuracy estimation task, and are given the 2D or 3D PSMAs to take home with them to use for 2-4 weeks, after which the researchers telephone parents to complete a brief satisfaction and usefulness survey.
Other Names:
  • 2D Portion Size Measurement Aids (PSMAs)
  • 3D Portion Size Measurement Aids (PSMAs)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Accuracy of food portion size estimation
Time Frame: At the time of subject interview (single time point)
During the initial interview, the subject receives a brief description of the task and is shown pre-estimated rubber food models. The subject then estimates the portion sizes (volumes) of the rubber food models using either 2D or 3D PSMAs.
At the time of subject interview (single time point)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Acceptability (satisfaction and usefulness) of 2D and 3D PSMAs
Time Frame: 2-4 weeks following the accuracy assessment
After the intial interview, subjects are given either 2D or 3D PSMAs to take home with them to use in a real-world setting. After 2-4 weeks, the researcher team contacts the subjects to complete a brief telephone interview to determine parental satisfaction and usefulness regarding the 2D or 3D PSMAs.
2-4 weeks following the accuracy assessment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Alberta

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Geoff DC Ball, PhD, RD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta; Director, Pediatric Centre for Weight and Health

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

April 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2013

Study Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 16, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 16, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

December 17, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

February 20, 2014

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 19, 2014

Last Verified

February 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 00010835

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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