Cooking Matters for Kids Improves Attitudes and Self-Efficacy Related to Healthy Eating and Cooking

Abstract

ObjectiveTo assess changes in self-efficacy and attitudes related to healthy eating and cooking in Cooking Matters for Kids participants. DesignPrepost study design. SettingCooking Matters for Kids programs offered by 35 organizations. ParticipantsPredominantly third- to fifth-grade children participating in Cooking Matters for Kids lessons during fiscal years 2012–17 with matched presurvey and postsurveys (n = 18,113). Intervention(s)Cooking Matters for Kids consists of six 2-hour experiential nutrition and cooking education lessons. Main Outcome Measure(s)Self-efficacy related to healthy eating and cooking and attitudes toward healthy foods assessed through the Cooking Matters for Kids Participant Survey. AnalysisChanges from the presurvey to postsurvey were assessed using mixed models and repeated measures ordered logistic regression accounting for clustering by course. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen d for repeated measures. A Bonferroni adjustment was used to correct for multiple comparisons (α = 0.025). ResultsBoth overall and individual self-efficacy and attitude scores improved from presurvey to postsurvey (P < 0.0001). The effect sizes were 0.35 for overall self-efficacy score and 0.17 for overall attitude score. Conclusions and ImplicationsParticipation in Cooking Matters for Kids was associated with improvements in self-efficacy and attitudes related to healthy eating and cooking.