Cognitive Strategies for Reporting Portion Sizes Using Dietary Recall Procedures

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Abstract

Objectives To examine recall strategies used by interview respondents when making judgments about portion size and to better understand how respondents use various portion size aids.

Design Study participants were separated into groups, each using a different set of portion-size estimation aids: (a) 2-dimensional paper aids presented in stacks, (b) 2-dimensional aids, cut out and presented on rings, (c) household-type aids, and (d) a combination of 2- and 3-dimensional aids, many of which are used in national government surveys. Respondents gave a “quick list” of foods consumed the previous day and practiced cognitive thinking skills. Then the interviewer selected at least 2 solid, 2 liquid, and 2 amorphous foods for probing. Respondents were asked to think aloud as they reported how much they ate of each food. Types and frequencies of cognitive strategies used for portion size estimation were determined.

Subjects Interviews of 1 to 112 hours were conducted with 76 adults aged 18 to 65 years. Participants were recruited to obtain a mix of races, ages, educational levels, and genders.

Results The most frequently used strategy was visualization and comparison to aids. Others strategies were known amounts, estimations based on known amounts, visualization of volume or a container, and actions such as pouring or moving hands to the mouth. Respondents preferred aids that were similar in size and shape to actual portions consumed for liquid or amorphous food and preferred the ruler for solid foods.

Applications To obtain the best data from dietary recalls, expect answers that are possible for respondents to give, supply respondents with aids that help them recall amounts consumed, and guide respondents to appropriate aids that help them formulate focused responses. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000;100:891-897.

Section snippets

Methods

Six highly trained interviewers conducted one-on-one interviews with 76 study participants in 3 states: Tennessee, Kansas, and Missouri. All procedures described in this section were pretested before the study began.

Results

Respondents used various strategies to help them recall amounts eaten (Table 2), for example, known amounts (purchased or measured), estimation based on known amounts (eg, half of a 6-oz bag), visualization (mentally visualizing the volume or container and estimating its size or volume without using an aid), visualization and comparison to aids (the strategy used most frequently), and visualization of action (eg, acting out the number of spoonfuls they had put on their plate). These strategies

Discussion

In this study people clearly used aids as a comparison tool. Aids are most useful when they help people organize and recall what has been stored in memory.

Study participants were best able to use aids that could be visualized as similar to the actual portions or containers of foods eaten. This finding parallels data for snack foods and beverages reported by Chambers et al (21). In that study, more than 50% of respondents indicated that they chose an aid based on its similarity in size/amount or

Applications/Conclusions

In dietary recall studies, researchers must understand memory structure and assist respondents in remembering food consumption. Consumers need help in using landmarks (eg, portion-size aids) to help in specific tasks of remembering. Aids help in formulating memory recall and help set boundaries (eg, visualization and comparison); that is, they help people structure their recall in a form that allows them to provide meaningful data to researchers.

■ To obtain the best data from dietary recalls,

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