6398 Identifying and assessing portion size resources aimed at primary school-aged children in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Objectives Childhood obesity rates are unacceptably high in the UK. The most recent survey found that almost 10% of preschool children have obesity, rising to 23% in year 6.¹ Unhealthy dietary patterns have been shown to be a key factor in the development of obesity.² However, parents and practitioners may fail to recognise the impact of food portion sizes. Portion size guidelines can help provide useful recommendations. Hence, the aim of this review was to identify and assess the quality of portion size guidelines targeted at primary school-aged children in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted using search engines, relevant reference lists and targeted nutrition websites. Resources that provided quantifiable portion size guidance for primary school-aged children in the UK and Ireland were included. The type of resource, target audience and how the portion size recommendations were derived, were described in the review. Portion sizes (g) for food and drink items were extracted and compared across resources. The equivalent energy contents (kcal) were calculated from portion sizes. Portion size data were analysed within food groups to aid meaningful comparison. Results A total of nine resources were found and included in the review. Portion sizes guidance was aimed at children aged 4–10, 5–11 or primary-school aged children in general. 6 resources presented portion sizes for individual food items within food groups. The remaining 3 resources provided recommendations for meals and snack times. Resources stated that expert opinion and scientific-based information were used to derive portion size guidance. Portion sizes were mostly provided for food items classified as fruit and vegetables (median = 30). The fat, salt and sugars group had the least amount of portion size recommendations (median = 1). Median portion sizes were inconsistent across resources for fruit and vegetable (75g [IQR = 50–80g]), carbohydrate (77g [IQR = 58.8–110]), protein (63g [IQR = 56–75]), dairy (99g [IQR = 35–111.9]) and fat, salt and sugars (45g [IQR = 40–70]) food groups. Median portion sizes for drink items showed no variability and were consistent across resources. Conclusion The review demonstrated the lack of portion size guidance available for feeding primary-school aged children in the UK and Ireland. There is a degree of variability amongst publicly available resources in the presentation and the recommendations provided for food portion sizes. Therefore, to help tackle obesity in children, the public may benefit from more tandardized, evidence-based portion size guidance. References National Child Measurement Programme, England, 2022/23 School Year. NHS Digital (2023) https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/national-child-measurement-programme/2022-23-school-year# Emmett PM, Jones LR, Northstone K. Dietary patterns in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. 2015.