Browsing by Subject "energiansaanti"
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(2018)ABSTRACT Background and aim of the study: Recently the reliability and accuracy of traditional research methods of food intake have been questioned. Traditional methods have a tendency to underestimate the energy intake of the subject. Individuals’ ability to estimate the portion size, memory, and self-report affects the reliability. New technology offers new tools for nutritional research. Individuals’ food and energy intake can in theory be estimated from photographs showing the food portions and left over food. In this master’s thesis the aim is to investigate if food photographs of preschool children can be used in assessment of food consumption. The reference method in this research was weighted portion sizes. Active food photography method has not in fact been investigated on small children before. Design and methods: This master’s thesis is part of the DAGIS research project. The subjects (n=22) were children aged 3–6 years in two day care centers in Helsinki. The food intake of the subjects was photographed during lunch hour and snack time in the daycare setting with two cameras. All food items and left over food was also weighed. Research material includes also the children’s food diaries filled in by the daycare personnel. Portion size estimates from food photographs and food diaries were compared against the weighted portion sizes. Arithmetic means and standard deviations were calculated for different food groups. The difference between the weighed portion size and the estimated portion size was calculated with 95 % confidence interval. The geometric means with 95 % limits of agreement were also calculated for the ratio of weighted and estimated portion size. Bland-Altman figures were drawn to assess the agreement between methods. Results: This master’s thesis found that on average food photographs overestimated the portion sizes compared to the weighted portions (geometric mean 1,06). The estimations made from the photographs were in line with the food records in if they over or under estimated the portions in different food groups. When comparing the energy intake from the study meals this study found that there was no difference between the estimated energy intake from photographs and the energy intake from weighted portions (geometric mean 1,01). The differences made in the portion size estimation (over or underestimation) were seen only in part of the food groups in both estimation methods. Conclusion: This study found no difference between the energy intake estimated from the food photographs and weighed portions. This was an exceptionally good result compared to earlier studies where food photographs have underestimated subjects’ energy intake. The explanation for the difference in results may possibly be explained by the study design. In this study the food photographs were taken at the day care centers by researchers and the day care personnel filled in the food records. Third party report is different from self-report. Food photographs have hardly been studied in food consumption studies with small children before. The heterogeneity of the previous studies and the lack of validation of the different food photograph methods make the comparison of the study results difficult. This study suggests that food photographs could someday even replace the traditional methods. Before that can happen, we need more studies where the method has been validated and the study settings is well planned forehand. Food photographs would be a useful tool for nutritional studies especially in a busy day care environment. KEYWORDS: Dietary assessment: food intake, energy intake, digital photography, food photography, food records, portion size estimation, children
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(2019)Background: The elderly population grows in Finland and older people suffer from several health problems, such as undernutrition and constipation. Offering snacks with energy, protein and fiber can be helpful to elderly people with nutritional problems. The aim of the study: This thesis investigated how a nutritious snack containing oat and canola oil (OFA biscuit) affects energy intake, weight and bowel function in an elderly population compared to a wheat biscuit with less energy, fiber and fat. Materials and methods: A randomized, controlled intervention was conducted in healthy elderly ≥ 70 years. The participants were divided to two groups that ate four biscuits per day, either OFA-biscuits or wheat biscuits. The intervention lasted for 6 weeks. Height, weight and body composition were measured, energy and nutrient intake was collected via 24 h recall interviews. The participants kept a diary on the amount of biscuits eaten as well as stool frequency and stool form. Bristol scale 1-7 types were hard stools (1-2), normal stools (3-4) and loose stools (5-7). Results: 35 participants were recruited and 28 of them carried through the intervention. The volunteers were 70-89 years old (mean 77 y). 20 women and 8 men participated. The volunteers were supposed to eat 140 biscuits during the intervention. In OFA-group the volunteers ate approx. 91 biscuits and in the control group approx. 110 biscuits. There were no statistical differences between or inside groups in intake of energy and nutrients, weight or body composition. Defecation frequency didn’t differ between the groups. The stool form changed during the intervention in the OFA group. Between the pre-intervention week and the latter half of the intervention the number of hard stools decreased. The same diminishment happened between the first week in intervention and the latter half of the intervention. Also the percentage of hard stools decreased during the intervention. There were no statistically significant differences in the control group stool forms. Conclusion: The stool form changed from hard to softer stools during the intervention, even though the energy and fiber intake did not increase and the volunteers did not consume biscuits as planned. The participants were healthy and fit older people that didn’t suffer from constipation. OFA product could also be useful for people with constipation. Future research should have a focus on intervention with elderly people with a risk of malnourishment and constipation.
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