Determination the portion size and factors affecting in university student

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between nutritional knowledge and serving size and other factors which may affect the perception of portion. The 1-4 grade students of Nutrition and Dietetics Students participated voluntarily in this study. Study was carried with 155 female and 7 male students (n=162) of Nutrition and Dietetics Department who were at school on study days of December 2013. The study was consisting of two main steps. In the first step a questionnaire was used to determine the demographic characteristics and nutritional habits of the students (Nutritional Knowledge Score- NKS). In the second part, a visual test was applied to the students to determine their portion size perceptions. The second part was performed in laboratory conditions. In the visual step of the study, 4 different foods were chosen (potatoes, lettuce, orange, tomato). In order to evaluate the factors affecting the perception of servings selected foods offered to students in different ways and according to them were asked to identify one portion.The average age of the students who participated in the study was found 20.7 ± 1.69 years and mean BMI of 21.2 ± 3.08 kg/m2. The ratio of students who were living with their parents was 51.9% and who were living in dormitories was 22.3%. Although the 5.6% of students declared that the most important meal of the day is breakfast, the 50.6% of the students skipping meals of the breakfast. The relationship between night eating frequency, BMI and NKS was not found statistically significant (p> 0.05). When snack consumption of the students was evaluated, 83.3% of students consumed snacks and they were aware of the differences between healthy foods and junk foods consumed for snacks. It is found that when the grade increases the NKS also rises The NKS difference between classes was found statistically significant (p <0.05). On the other hand, the NKS difference was not found statistically significant among 3rd and 4th classes those were the nutritional training years. In the first application of this study, it is found that the shape of the food is important on the perception of 1 portion of any food. Also with higher nutrition knowledge scores, 3rd and 4th classes were chosen the whole foods as 1 portion. In the second application of the study, it is found that the size of the plate is important on the perception of 1 portion of any food (p<0.05) In the third and fourth applications of the study, not only the quantitiy of the food but also size of the plate which incraeses proportionally with the quantitiy of food have an important impact perception of 1 portion of any food (p <0.05). The 4th class students were chosen the smallest plate as 1 portion food with the highest ratio. This is because the training they have received in the last years due to being face to face interaction with the patient, the amount of exchange in diets perceptual confusion is thought to be in serving size.