THE REPRODUCIBILITY OF SUBJECTIVE APPETITE SCORES

Although subjective appetite scores are widely used, studies on the re producibility of this method are scarce. In the present study nine hea lthy, normal weight, young men recorded their subjective appetite sens ations before and during 5 h after two different test meals A and B. T he subjects tested each meal twice and in randomized order. Visual ana logue scale (VAS) scores, 10 cm in length, were used to assess hunger, satiety, fullness, prospective food consumption and palatability of t he meals. Plasma glucose and lactate concentrations were determined co ncomitantly. The repeatability was investigated for fasting values, De lta-mean 5 h and mean 5 h values, Delta-peak/nadir and peak/nadir valu es. Although the profiles of the postprandial responses were similar, the coefficients of repeatability (CR = 2SD) on the mean differences w ere large, ranging from 2.86 to 5.24 cm for fasting scores, 1.36 to 1. 88 cm for mean scores, 2.98 to 5.42 cm for Delta-mean scores, and 3.16 to 6.44 cm for peak and Delta-peak scores. For palatability ratings t he CR values varied more, ranging from 2.38 (taste) to 8.70 cm (aftert aste). Part of the difference in satiety ratings could be explained by the differences in palatability ratings. However, the low reproducibi lity may also be caused by a conditioned satiation or hunger due to th e subjects' prior experience of the meals and therefore not just be a reflection of random noise. It is likely, however, that the variation in appetite ratings is due both to methodological day-to-day variation and to biological day-to-day variation in subjective appetite sensati ons.