Gender Differences in Dietary Attitudes and Behaviors of Participants in the Illinois Junior Chefs Program

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BackgroundCurrent research indicates that a substantial proportion of both male and female children in the US do not meet national nutrition guidelines for daily intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (Krebs‐Smith et al., 2010). Nutrition and culinary education programs have been developed to combat this national problem, but gender differences in program impacts are common (Cunningham‐Sabo & Lohse, 2014).ObjectiveThis study investigated gender differences in dietary attitudes and behaviors of participants in the Illinois Junior Chefs (IJC) Program. Baseline surveys scores and change scores as a result of the program were compared between male and female participants.MethodIJC is a SNAP‐Ed funded culinary education program based on the Kids in the Kitchen curriculum from the University of Missouri Extension. IJC consists of five lessons lasting two hours each, but due to site limitations, timing can vary. During each lesson, there is a food group focus (i.e. protein) paired with the preparation of an associated recipe (i.e., huevos rancheros). In addition, a specific cooking skill (i.e., cracking eggs) is taught, practiced, and applied during the hands‐on recipe preparation. Participants (n = 1194) ranged in age from 6 – 18 (mean age = 9.6), and were 41.1% male and 59.2% female.Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through program evaluations. Students participating in the program completed pre‐ and post‐intervention surveys that measured cooking self‐efficacy, fruit and vegetable preferences, attitudes towards cooking, cooking behaviors, and self‐efficacy for selecting and eating healthy foods. Instructors were provided with lesson checklists and self‐reported on recipe and activity completion each session. Researchers conducted on‐site observations at selected sites that varied in their geography (rural vs. urban) and sample demographics.ResultsAnalyses investigated gender differences in baseline survey scores and changes in survey scores as a result of the program. Independent t‐tests revealed that at baseline, female participants had significantly higher scores than male participants in cooking self‐efficacy (t(718) = 7.36, p < .001), cooking attitudes (t(605) = 7.97, p < .001), cooking behaviors (t(1124) = 7.01, p < .001), and self‐efficacy for selecting and eating healthy foods (t(797) = 3.52, p < .001). Male participants experienced significantly greater changes from pre‐ to post‐intervention in cooking self‐efficacy (t(730) = −3.48, p = .001) and cooking attitudes (t(577) = −2.60, p = .009).ConclusionsThough boys and girls both face challenges when it comes to healthy eating, research shows that social norms are influential in creating gender differences in dietary and cooking behaviors (Inness, 2001). Today, women typically spend twice as much time cooking as men (Smith et al., 2013), and results from IJC analyses indicate that our sample was likely influenced by social norms regarding gender and cooking. Although female participants had higher baseline scores, male participants were able to make significant improvements on several survey subscales as a result of the program. Future cooking education programs should work towards reducing the disparity between males and females in cooking and dietary habits.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 2011‐67001‐30101.