Culinary Skills Intervention: Immediate Impacts on Knowledge, Attitudes and Self‐Efficacy in Adolescent Youth

Abstract

Childhood obesity continues to be a public health concern in the United States. Youth acceptability of foods is higher when adolescents prepare a food item themselves, rather than consuming the same food prepared by someone else. Yet, many adolescents do not have any culinary skills or have had only minimal cooking experiences. The aim of this study was to conduct and evaluate a culinary skills intervention for adolescent youth as part of a childhood obesity prevention program. Adolescents [6th–7th grade, aged 12.1 ± 1.1 years (mean ± SD)] were randomized to adult‐led (n = 20) or peer‐led (n = 22) intervention groups. Participants attended two, 2‐hour culinary skills lessons where cutting techniques, cooking methods and following recipes were addressed. Questionnaires were administered pre‐ and post‐intervention to measure changes in knowledge (score = 0–19), attitudes (score = 0–55), cooking self‐efficacy (score = 0–50) and cooking methods self‐efficacy (score = 0–35) regarding lesson topics. Each correct knowledge response was assigned one point, and points were totaled for the overall score. Attitude and self‐efficacy measures were recorded on a 5‐point Likert scale then totaled for an overall categorical score. Independent and paired t‐tests were used to analyze differences between groups and within groups, respectively (SPSS, version 22.0). Significance was set at P < 0.05. There were no significant differences in the pre‐ to post‐intervention change in knowledge, attitudes and self‐efficacy between intervention groups. All adolescents (n = 42) increased their scores in knowledge [3.7 ± 2.6 (mean ± SD), P < 0.001] and attitudes (2.1 ± 4.1, P < 0.003) of culinary skills and in cooking self‐efficacy (7.7 ± 4.9, P < 0.001) and cooking method self‐efficacy (6.6 ± 5.1, P < 0.001) directly following the intervention. A culinary skills intervention resulted in immediate positive improvements in knowledge, attitudes and self‐efficacy regarding culinary skills in a group of adolescents. Mode of intervention (i.e., peer‐ vs. adult‐led) did not significantly impact these outcomes.Support or Funding InformationThis material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2012‐68001‐22032.