Abstract
Poor dietary behaviors, limited food preparation skills, and low levels of self-efficacy toward preparing healthy meals have been indicated in low-income and food insecure populations. The purpose of this pilot intervention was to determine the effectiveness of a community cooking demonstration at increasing participants’ general nutrition knowledge and confidence to prepare healthy meals with limited resources. Data was analyzed from a convenience sample of 23 low-income adults associated with Head Start (n=8) or a local soup kitchen (n=15) in the Midwestern United States. Participants attended a one-hour presentation comprised of a cooking demonstration, taste testing, and basic education on the MyPlate food guide and food safety. Subjects completed a pre- and post-assessment to measure changes in cooking confidence and general food and nutrition knowledge. Results indicated that, although there were no significant improvements in participants’ confidence to prepare healthy meals (39.3±11.3 vs. 44.5±9.1; t=1.76, p=0.25), subjects experienced significant gains in knowledge related to the MyPlate food guide (1.2±0.5 vs. 1.8±0.8; t=2.82, p=0.01) and basic food safety (0.7±0.9 vs. 2.5±1.0; t=6.05, p<0.01). Further research is necessary to identify effective strategies for parlaying increased nutrition knowledge into improved self-efficacy and behavior change.
Highlights
Adequate access to food of acceptable quantity and quality is necessary to provide the energy for growth, development, cognition, and physical function (Cook & Frank, 2008)
Poor dietary behaviors, limited food preparation skills, and low levels of self-efficacy toward preparing healthy meals have been indicated in low-income and food insecure populations
Prior research has identified low levels of self-efficacy toward healthy meal preparation in low-income populations (Mercille et al, 2012; Winkler & Turrell, 2009), it should be noted that participants in the current study reported relatively high levels of confidence toward meal preparation both prior to and following the intervention
Summary
Adequate access to food of acceptable quantity and quality is necessary to provide the energy for growth, development, cognition, and physical function (Cook & Frank, 2008). Experiencing low levels of food security can lead to devastating social, emotional, and physical consequences These health problems include physical deficits, poor nutrition, and psychological distress associated with the instability of an inadequate food supply. In addition to physical detriments, those who are food insecure are more likely to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, sadness, and shame (Connell, Lofton, Yadrick, & Rehner, 2005; Hamelin, Habicht, & Beaudry, 1999; Walker, Holben, Kropf, Holcomb, & Anderson, 2007). All of these deficits negatively impact an individual’s overall wellness
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