Pinnington L, Hegarty J
Department of Psychology, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Dysphagia. 1999 Winter;14(1):17-26. doi: 10.1007/PL00009580.
The purpose of this investigation was to determine what implications consistent presentation of food, delivered by an assistive feeding device at a position regarded as optimal, would have for the maintenance of food intake, duration of meals, and efficiency of eating. The trial employed an AB within-subjects design and extended over a 9-month period. Twenty children, aged 7 to 17 years, with severe neurological impairment and associated eating difficulties, were studied. The effects of the intervention were compared by examination of diaries recording the sizes and composition of meals consumed during designated periods and by precautionary measures of growth and weight. Although no statistically significant changes in weight were recorded overall, meals presented consistently were consumed less efficiently and sometimes more slowly than were standard ones, where food was presented by hand. However, no change occurred in the amount of energy and protein consumed, which suggested that the children's ability to thrive was neither improved nor further compromised by participation in the study. The findings have implications for the way in which children are assisted during mealtimes by their caregivers.
本调查的目的是确定，由辅助喂食设备在被视为最佳的位置持续提供食物，对维持食物摄入量、用餐时长和进食效率会有什么影响。该试验采用受试者内AB设计，为期9个月。研究了20名年龄在7至17岁之间、患有严重神经损伤并伴有进食困难的儿童。通过检查记录指定时间段内所用餐食的大小和成分的日记，以及生长和体重的预防措施，对干预效果进行了比较。尽管总体上没有记录到体重有统计学上的显著变化，但与用手提供食物的标准餐相比，持续提供的餐食进食效率较低，有时进食速度也较慢。然而，能量和蛋白质的摄入量没有变化，这表明参与该研究既没有提高也没有进一步损害儿童茁壮成长的能力。这些发现对照顾者在进餐时间协助儿童的方式具有启示意义。
