Factors predicting the portion size and perceived fillingness of evening meals in Danish and Iris households

Purpose:<br/>This study explored how meal-related variables, socio-demographics and psychological predispositions affect the portion<br/>size and perceived fillingness of an evening meal in Danish and Irish households.<br/>Methods:<br/>Using survey data collected in 2115 respondents from Denmark (DK) and the Island of Ireland (IOI), we compared four<br/>sets of predictors of the portion size chosen for four evening meals (i.e. pizza/soup/chicken salad/pork meal): Biological<br/>variables (hunger, thirst), socio-demographic variables (gender, age, BMI); psychological predispositions (cognitive<br/>restraint, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, general health interest) and meal-related variables (expected fillingness,<br/>perceived healthiness, liking, frequency of consumption). We also compared five sets of predictors (the previous<br/>four plus portion size) of perceived portion fillingness.<br/>Results:<br/>Portion size selections were associated mainly with demographic variables (gender, BMI) and psychological predispositions<br/>(cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating). In addition, only liking and sometimes expected healthiness (mealrelated<br/>variables) appeared as drivers. Conversely, perceived portion fillingness was mostly influenced by the selected<br/>portion size as well as expected fillingness and liking. There were some differences between meals; e.g. GHI not a<br/>predictor for Pizza but a predictor for Chicken salad. Also some country differences were observed; emotional eating<br/>predicted portion selection in the IOI but not DK.<br/>Conclusions:<br/>When making portion size selections at home, psychological predispositions, restrained and uncontrolled eating as well<br/>as meal-related variables, liking and healthiness explained the decisions. However, surprisingly, individuals’ expected<br/>fillingness of a food did not influence their portion size selection but was a driver of fillingness of the selected portion.