Cooks Workshops within the Faith, Activity and Nutrition Project in South Carolina

Abstract

Text: Hands-on cooking with a chef to incorporate Develop Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet principles: increasing fruits, vegetables, fiber while reducing sodium and fat into culturally favorite recipes and menus is a goal for Cooks Workshops in the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition project. FAN is an integral part of a 5-year partnership between the Palmetto Conference of American Methodist Episcopal Church, University of South Carolina, Medical University of South Carolina, and Clemson University in order to improve ethnic disparities in health. A communitybased-participatory research approach aimed at nutrition and physical activity receives guidance from the planning committee for curriculum/ materials design and overall communications within the partnership. The partners are currently working with 13 churches during the first intervention phase and in summer 2008 will expand to include the second phase of churches in measurements and trainings (cooks, pastors and health directors). The 15-month intervention targets social, cultural, and policy influences within social ecological and transtheoretical models for the target audience of 60 churches. Cooks Workshops include five units of food preparation guided by a professional chef and dietitian team. Tools developed and tested for participants include the Cooking Attitude, Cooking Behavior, Produce Consumption Self-Efficacy, Cooking SelfEfficacy, Self-Efficacy for Using Basic Cooking Techniques, and SelfEfficacy for Using Fruits, Vegetables and Seasonings scales and the Knowledge of Cooking Terms and Techniques evaluation. Discussion of our program approach as well as item analysis will contribute practical tested strategies for encouraging healthy food choices within a faith based environment for community outreach dietitians.