Relation between food intake and visual analogue scale ratings of appetite and other sensations in healthy older and young subjects.
OBJECTIVE
Visual analogue scales are widely used in appetite research, yet the validity of these scales to evaluate appetite and mood has not been assessed in older subjects. The aim of this study was to determine the relations between food intake and visual analogue scale (VAS) ratings of appetite and nonappetite sensations in healthy older and young subjects.


METHODS
Retrospective combined analysis of four single-blind, randomised, controlled appetite studies.


METHODS
All studies were conducted in the University of Adelaide, Department of Medicine, Adelaide, Australia.


METHODS
A total of 45 healthy young men (n=24) and women (n=21) aged 18-35 y and 45 healthy older men (n=24) and women (n=21) aged 65-85 y were recruited by advertisement.


METHODS
Oral, intraduodenal or intravenous administration of treatments which suppressed food intake were compared to control. Up to 90 min after treatment, a test meal was offered and subjects ate freely for between 30 and 60 min. Perceptions were assessed by 100-mm visual analogue scales administered at regular intervals.


RESULTS
Food intake at the test meal was positively related to perceptions of hunger, drowsiness, and calmness at both baseline and premeal (r>0.16, P<0.05), and inversely related to premeal ratings of fullness (r> 0.2, P<0.05) in both older and young subjects. Food intake was related to VAS ratings at least as strongly, if not more so, in older as in young subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
These observations (i) confirm that food intake is related to perceptions of hunger and fullness as assessed by VAS in healthy older and young subjects, and (ii) suggest that sensations, not obviously associated with appetite, including 'drowsiness' and 'calmness', are also associated with food intake.
Parker
B A
BA
Department of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Sturm
K
K
MacIntosh
C G
CG
Feinle
C
C
Horowitz
M
M
Chapman
I M
IM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012527:Satiation / Q000502:physiology; D012894:Sleep Stages; D013021:South Australia