Feasibility and acceptability of a Takeaway Masterclass aimed at encouraging healthier cooking practices and menu options in takeaway food outlets

Frances Hillier-Brown,Vera Araújo-Soares,Scott Lloyd,Louise Muhammad,Martin White,Linda Penn,Amelia Lake,Helen Moore,Wendy Wrieden,Ashley Adamson,Louis Goffe,Charles Abraham,Carolyn Summerbell,Jean Adams,Natalie Hildred

doi:10.1017/s1368980019000648

Abstract

To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the Takeaway Masterclass, a three-hour training session delivered to staff of independent takeaway food outlets that promoted healthy cooking practices and menu options. A mixed-methods study design. All participating food outlets provided progress feedback at 6 weeks post-intervention. Baseline and 6-week post-intervention observational and self-reported data were collected in half of participating takeaway food outlets. North East England. Independent takeaway food outlet owners and managers. Staff from eighteen (10 % of invited) takeaway food outlets attended the training; attendance did not appear to be associated with the level of deprivation of food outlet location. Changes made by staff that required minimal effort or cost to the business were the most likely to be implemented and sustained. Less popular changes included using products that are difficult (or expensive) to source from suppliers, or changes perceived to be unpopular with customers. The Takeaway Masterclass appears to be a feasible and acceptable intervention for improving cooking practices and menu options in takeaway food outlets for those who attended the training. Further work is required to increase participation and retention and explore effectiveness, paying particular attention to minimising adverse inequality effects.

Highlights

Intervention description The Takeaway Masterclass is a three-hour training course delivered by public health professionals and an industry expert to staff from independent takeaway food outlets to promote healthier changes to cooking practices and menu options
A description of the Takeaway Masterclass using the template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR) guidance for reporting interventions[36], the intervention logic model defined by the research team and the intervention materials are provided in the online supplementary material (Supplemental Table 1 and Supplemental Figs 1–4)
At least one change in cooking practice or menu options were made in all the food outlets contacted at follow-up, but these were not all changes that were planned during the Takeaway Masterclass

Summary

Materials and methods

Intervention description The Takeaway Masterclass is a three-hour training course delivered by public health professionals and an industry expert to staff from independent takeaway food outlets to promote healthier changes to cooking practices and menu options. Owners or managers from all the ‘follow-up’ food outlets who attended the Takeaway Masterclass training were contacted at six to eight weeks post-intervention via telephone by the research team to ask if they had achieved their goals or made any other changes. In both groups, during the follow-up visits or phone calls, the owners or managers were invited to take part in a 30 min semi-structured interview with a researcher to further explore the experience of taking part in the intervention and evaluation activities.

Results

Discussion

Conclusions