Table 3.
True weight and weight estimated with each of the hand method subtypes (finger width, fist and thumb or finger tips) and household method (cups)*
(Medians and interquartile ranges (IQR))
| Estimated weight (g) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand | Household | |||||||
| Food or liquid item | Portion size† | True weight (g) | Median | IQR | P | Median | IQR | P |
| Geometrically shaped solid foods or liquids (finger widths)‡ | ||||||||
| Δ Soft cheese (Brie) | (1) | 9·2 | 7·6 | 5·6 | 0·154 | 11·3 | 5·3 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 33·3 | 31·4 | 13·2 | 0·461 | 31·8 | 8·9 | 0·023 | |
| Δ Pizza | (1) | 47·5 | 41·2 | 22·3 | 0·002 | 90·0 | 30·0 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 83·9 | 71·5 | 24·8 | <0·001 | 135·0 | 90·0 | <0·001 | |
| Δ Watermelon | (1) | 159·6 | 135·4 | 41·0 | 0·009 | 262·5 | 65·6 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 203·7 | 166·1 | 126·5 | 0·103 | 262·5 | 65·6 | <0·001 | |
| Δ Cake | (1) | 64·3 | 49·4 | 25·6 | <0·001 | 83·3 | 31·3 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 73·7 | 64·2 | 32·8 | 0·081 | 93·8 | 31·3 | <0·001 | |
| ○ Wine | (1) | 128·7 | 148·2 | 36·8 | <0·001 | 187·5 | 125 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 177·2 | 215·7 | 73·4 | <0·001 | 250·0 | 62·5 | <0·001 | |
| ○ Juice | (1) | 140·7 | 171·7 | 76·9 | <0·001 | 195·0 | 65·0 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 233·3 | 275·7 | 117·1 | <0·001 | 260·0 | 86·7 | <0·001 | |
| ○ Sweet potato | (1) | 32·8 | 37·5 | 24·4 | 0·003 | 52·5 | 0·0 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 61·2 | 51·9 | 28·8 | 0·004 | 70·0 | 52·5 | <0·001 | |
| ○ Meat pie | (1) | 48·6 | 65·2 | 30·7 | <0·001 | 65·8 | 49·4 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 175·6 | 250·0 | 94·3 | <0·001 | 296·3 | 148·1 | <0·001 | |
| ○ Burger patty | (1) | 115·3 | 98·8 | 56·8 | 0·004 | 150·0 | 100·0 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 231·4 | 189·7 | 68·1 | <0·001 | 300·0 | 100·0 | <0·001 | |
| □ Caramel slice | (1) | 58·7 | 80·2 | 35·3 | <0·001 | 71·3 | 71·3 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 137·8 | 154·3 | 82·0 | <0·001 | 213·8 | 142·5 | <0·001 | |
| □ Hard cheese (Feta) | (1) | 13·2 | 14·8 | 10·7 | 0·009 | 15·0 | 5·0 | 0·358 |
| (2) | 15·9 | 16·6 | 11·5 | 0·156 | 15·0 | 13·1 | 0·046 | |
| □ Lasagne | (1) | 167·1 | 210·6 | 100·0 | <0·001 | 260·0 | 65·0 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 350·1 | 427·2 | 184·4 | <0·001 | 520·0 | 130·0 | <0·001 | |
| □ Fish fillet | (1) | 104·8 | 166·0 | 100·5 | <0·001 | 275·0 | 68·8 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 165·2 | 283·2 | 95·3 | <0·001 | 275·0 | 91·7 | <0·001 | |
| □ Chicken breast | (1) | 107·8 | 194·1 | 81·6 | <0·001 | 200·0 | 75·0 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 195·4 | 402·2 | 177·6 | <0·001 | 400·0 | 300·0 | <0·001 | |
| □ Beef steak | (1) | 54·5 | 94·4 | 53·6 | <0·001 | 150·0 | 75·0 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 253·4 | 485·8 | 213·2 | <0·001 | 450·0 | 200·0 | <0·001 | |
| Amorphous foods and muffins (fists) | ||||||||
| Cereal flakes | (1) | 30·4 | 64·0 | 30·6 | <0·001 | 31·9 | 21·3 | 0·006 |
| (2) | 79 | 113·4 | 35·3 | <0·001 | 85·0 | 21·3 | 0·773 | |
| Mashed potato | (1) | 118·7 | 201·9 | 64·9 | <0·001 | 183·8 | 61·3 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 199·4 | 320·6 | 101·4 | <0·001 | 306·3 | 122·5 | <0·001 | |
| Muffin | (1) | 18·6 | 36·7 | 17·9 | <0·001 | 30·6 | 0·0 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 154·6 | 184·2 | 76 | <0·001 | 190·6 | 76·3 | <0·001 | |
| Rice | (1) | 55·2 | 107·1 | 57·9 | <0·001 | 83·8 | 41·9 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 171·5 | 274·7 | 88 | <0·001 | 223·3 | 111·7 | <0·001 | |
| Spreads (thumb or finger tips) | ||||||||
| Honey | (1) | 5·4 | 15·7 | 14·5 | <0·001 | 21·5 | 10·7 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 12·9 | 30·9 | 22·2 | <0·001 | 42·9 | 32·2 | <0·001 | |
| Oil-based spread | (1) | 1·1 | 2·4 | 1·3 | <0·001 | 2·4 | 2·4 | <0·001 |
| (2) | 13·5 | 12·0 | 5·6 | <0·001 | 14·4 | 7·2 | <0·001 | |
*
The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare estimated weight with true weight. The Bonferroni corrected significance level of P < 0·001 was used to account for multiple comparisons.
† (1) Indicates the smaller and (2) indicates the larger of the two portion sizes for each item estimated.
‡ Symbols to the left of each food or liquid item indicate the geometrical shape that was used to calculate volume from finger width measurements: Δ, triangular prism; ○, cylinder; □, rectangular prism.