Effects of Varying Portion Size and Palatability on Food Intake of Preschool Children

Lunch Feeding Study for Preschool Children

The aim of the study is to determine the effect of varying both the portion size and the appeal (palatability and presentation) of foods served to preschool children at a meal on the outcomes of food and energy intake at the meal.

Study Overview

• Status: Terminated
• Conditions: Feeding Behavior
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Smaller Portion Size and Standard Appeal (non-divided plate); Other: Smaller Portion Size and Enhanced Appeal (divided plate); Other: Larger Portion Size and Standard Appeal (non-divided plate); Other: Larger Portion Size and Enhanced Appeal (divided plate); Other: Smaller Portion Size and Standard Appeal (divided plate)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 12
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • University Park, Pennsylvania, United States, 16802
      • Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior, The Pennsylvania State University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 3 years to 5 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children who are enrolled in a scheduled classroom of the designated childcare centers

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children who are allergic to any of the foods served
• Children whose diets exclude any of the foods served
• Children who will not be present at the childcare center for all of the scheduled study days

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

5

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Smaller Portion Size and Standard Appeal (non-divided plate); Food with Smaller Portion Size and Standard Appeal on a non-divided plate	Other: Smaller Portion Size and Standard Appeal (non-divided plate); Food with Smaller Portion Size and Standard Appeal on a non-divided plate
Experimental: Smaller Portion Size and Enhanced Appeal (divided plate); Food with Smaller Portion Size and Enhanced Appeal on a divided plate	Other: Smaller Portion Size and Enhanced Appeal (divided plate); Food with Smaller Portion Size and Enhanced Appeal on a divided plate
Experimental: Larger Portion Size and Standard Appeal (non-divided plate); Food with Larger Portion Size and Standard Appeal on a non-divided plate	Other: Larger Portion Size and Standard Appeal (non-divided plate); Food with Larger Portion Size and Standard Appeal on a non-divided plate
Experimental: Larger Portion Size and Enhanced Appeal (divided plate); Food with Larger Portion Size and Enhanced Appeal on a divided plate	Other: Larger Portion Size and Enhanced Appeal (divided plate); Food with Larger Portion Size and Enhanced Appeal on a divided plate
Experimental: Smaller Portion Size and Standard Appeal (divided plate); Food with Smaller Portion Size and Standard Appeal on a divided plate	Other: Smaller Portion Size and Standard Appeal (divided plate); Food with Smaller Portion Size and Standard Appeal on a divided plate

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference between interventions in meal energy intake	Energy consumed at the meal (kcal)	Study weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference between interventions in food intake	Weight of food consumed at the meal (g)	Study weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
Difference between interventions in meal energy density	Energy density of the food consumed at the meal (kcal/g)	Study weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Liking of food served at the meal	The Yummy-Yucky Cartoon Faces Scale (1=Yucky, 2=Just Okay, and 3=Yummy)	Study week 6
Preference of plate and vegetables served at the meal	Preferred version of plate (1=non-divided plate, 2=divided plate), broccoli (1=standard appeal, 2=enhanced appeal), and corn (1=standard appeal, 2=enhanced appeal) of the two versions presented	Study week 6

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Penn State University
• Collaborators: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 12, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 9, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): April 17, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 21, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 21, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): August 22, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 22, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 18, 2019
• Last Verified: April 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: ChildFood401; R01DK082580 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No