Denise E. Wall

Increasing the portion size of a packaged snack increases energy intake in men and women

The objective of this study was to determine how the portion size of a packaged snack affects energy intake of the snack and of the subsequent meal. On five separate days, 60 subjects (34 women and 26 men) ate an afternoon snack and dinner in individual cubicles. For each snack, subjects were served one of five packages of potato chips (28, 42, 85, 128, or 170 g), which they consumed ad libitum directly from the unlabelled, opaque package. Subjects returned to the lab three hours later for a standard dinner, which was also consumed ad libitum. Results showed that snack intake increased significantly as the package size increased for both males and females (p < 0.001). The combined energy intake from snack and dinner also increased as the package size increased. On average, when served the largest snack package compared to the smallest, subjects consumed an additional 596 kJ (143 kcal) at snack and dinner combined. Results from this study demonstrate that short-term energy intake increases with increasing package size of a snack. These data suggest that the availability of large packages of energy-dense snacks may be one of the environmental influences associated with excess energy intake.

Nutrition Education Intervention Improves Vegetable-Related Attitude, Self-Efficacy, Preference, and Knowledge of Fourth-Grade Students

BACKGROUND Impact of a classroom-based, standardized intervention to address limited vegetable consumption of fourth graders was assessed. METHODS A 4-lesson, vegetable-focused intervention, revised from extant materials was repurposed for Pennsylvania fourth graders with lessons aligned with state academic standards. A reliability-tested survey was modified, then examined for face and content validity and test-retest reliability. Lessons and evaluation materials were modified through an iterative testing process with educator feedback. A nonequivalent control group design was stratified by local Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) partnering organizations with random assignment of participating elementary schools as control (N = 68) or intervention (N = 72) treatments. Independent t-tests compared control and intervention group changes. A mixed effects model was created to account for classroom effects from the nested sampling method of selecting classrooms within SNAP-Ed partnering organizations. General linear model univariate analyses of variance were conducted to assess intervention effects considering gender, and food preparation/cooking experience. RESULTS During a 3- to 5-week time frame, 57 intervention classrooms (N = 1047 students) and 51 control classrooms (N = 890) completed pre- and post-testing. Intervention students improved in vegetable-related attitude, self-efficacy, preference, and knowledge scores (p < .001). For example, intervention vegetable preference increased 1.56 ± 5.80 points; control group mean increase was only 0.08 ± 4.82 points. Group differences in score changes were not affected by gender or interactions between gender and food preparation/cooking experience with family. CONCLUSIONS A defined intervention delivered in a SNAP-Ed setting can positively impact mediators associated with vegetable intake for fourth-grade students.

Diet quality is related to eating competence in cross-sectional sample of low-income females surveyed in Pennsylvania.

Women participants of two federally administered nutrition education programs (n=149, 56% white, 64% food secure, 86% 18-50 years of age,) completed telephone interviews that included three 24-hour dietary recalls and the Satter Eating Competence Inventory. Eating competence is delineated by an Inventory score≥32. Competent eaters had significantly greater intakes of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, most B-vitamins, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium and a higher Healthy Eating Index. Two dietary patterns defined as Prudent and Western were observed. The Prudent pattern was correlated with eating competence and characterized by more healthful foods such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. The Western pattern, characterized by foods higher in fat, salt, and sugar, was not related to eating competence. Findings suggest that dietary guidance using an eating competence approach for low-income women is compatible with goals to improve dietary quality and eating patterns.