Hands-on Cooking Research Articles

Intra-Family Role Expectations and Reluctance to Change Identified as Key Barriers to Expanding Vegetable Consumption Patterns during Interactive Family-Based Program for Appalachian Low-Income Food Preparers

Few Americans eat sufficient vegetables, especially the protective deep orange and dark green vegetables. To address this, a community-based wellness program to broaden vegetables served at evening meals targeting Appalachian food preparers and their families was tested in a randomized, controlled intervention. Food preparers (n=50) were predominately married (88%), white (98%), and female (94%), with several children living at home. Experimental food preparers (n=25) attended the program sessions and controls (n=25) were mailed relevant handouts and recipes. At program sessions, participants received nutrition information, hands-on cooking instruction, and prepared recipes to take home for family evaluation. As qualitative assessment, 10 couples from each treatment group (n=20 couples) were randomly selected for baseline and immediate post-intervention interviews to explore impact on the food preparer's family. These in-depth interviews with the food preparer and their adult partner were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Two researchers conducted thematic analysis using constant comparison. Family flexibility about food choices was assessed using roles, rules, and power concepts from Family Systems Theory. Interviews at baseline revealed dinner vegetable variety was very limited because food preparers served only what everyone liked (a role expectation) and deferred to male partner and children's narrow vegetable preferences (power). Control couples reported no change in vegetable dinner variety post-intervention. Most experimental couples reported in-home tasting and evaluation was worthwhile and somewhat broadened vegetables served at dinners. But the role expectation of serving only what everyone liked and the practice of honoring powerful family members' vegetable preferences remained major barriers to change.

Cooking Schools Improve Nutrient Intake Patterns of People with Type 2 Diabetes

ObjectiveTo determine whether cooking classes offered by the Cooperative Extension Service improved nutrient intake patterns in people with type 2 diabetes. DesignQuasi-experimental using pretest, posttest comparisons. SettingCommunity locations including schools, churches, and senior centers. ParticipantsOne hundred seventeen people with type 2 diabetes, from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. InterventionSeries of classes for people with type 2 diabetes and their family members that incorporated Social Cognitive Theory tenets. The classes featured current nutrition recommendations for people with type 2 diabetes and hands-on cooking, where participants prepared and ate a meal together. Main Outcome MeasuresThree-day food records, completed prior to attending cooking schools and 1 month after, were used to measure changes in energy intake and selected nutrients. AnalysisProgram efficacy was assessed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare differences between pre-training and post-training variables. ANCOVA was used to determine whether program efficacy was affected by sociodemographics. ResultsParticipants decreased (P < .05) intakes of energy, fat grams, percentage of calories from fat, saturated fat grams, cholesterol (mg), sodium (mg), and carbohydrate grams. Conclusions and ImplicationsNutrition education incorporating hands-on cooking can improve nutrient intake in people with type 2 diabetes from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Diabetes Cooking Schools Improve Knowledge and Skills in Making Healthful Food Choices

Rates of type 2 diabetes are increasing nationally and in New Mexico, particularly in ethnic minorities. A key self-care area with challenging barriers is healthy eating. The New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service conducts diabetes cooking schools statewide together with community health providers. The study reported here determined if this education was effective in people with type 2 diabetes and their family members. Self-report surveys showed that knowledge and behaviors significantly improved (p&lt;0.05) following participation in cooking schools in all ethnic groups, both genders, and a wide range of ages. Hands-on cooking schools are an effective method for diabetes education.

Cooking For Your Life! A Family-Centred, Community-Based Nutrition Education Program for Youth With Type 2 Diabetes or Impaired Glucose Tolerance

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES To modify the Canadian Diabetes Association Pacific Area's Cooking For Your Life! program for youth with type 2 diabetes and their families, and to evaluate program satisfaction. METHODES Cooking For Your Life! is a community-based cooking and nutrition education program initially developed by the Canadian Diabetes Association for adults with type 2 diabetes. It has been well attended and resulted in excellent program satisfaction. Several methods were used to guide and evaluate modifications to the adult Cooking For Your Life! program for youth. These included review and recommendations from a steering committee, focus groups and a series of pilot classes evaluated via the collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Attendance was tracked at each class, and each participant answered a satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS The modified program consists of 3 interactive, hands-on cooking classes and a Shop Smart tour co-facilitated by a dietitian and cook. A total of 36 people participated in the pilot program, including 15 adolescents and 21 of their family members. The majority of participants were satisfied with the course, enjoyed the recipes and expressed interest in taking a second set of classes. CONCLUSIONS These pilot results suggest that both youth and their families were satisfied with and committed to attending this community-based education program.

Letters

Letters

What Do People With Schizophrenia Think About Weight Management?

What Do People With Schizophrenia Think About Weight Management?

Cooking Classes Outperform Cooking Demonstrations for College Sophomores

Objective To determine if cooking classes improve subjects' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward cooking. Design Comparison of outcomes of 2 treatment groups (demonstration vs hands-on cooking classes) using preand posttests. Setting University cooking laboratories. Participants First-semester sophomores (n = 65) who were 25% male with a mean age of 19.7 years. Intervention The intervention group (n = 33) attended 4 2-hour cooking classes, based on Social Learning Theory, and a supermarket tour. The demonstration group (n = 32) attended a cooking demonstration. Subjects completed 6 surveys. Main Outcome Measures Changes in attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors regarding cooking. Analysis Descriptive statistics were used to compare demographic variables. Analysis of covariance and chi-square analyses were used to compare outcome variables. Results Analysis revealed no gender differences. Participants displayed positive shifts on attitude scales. The intervention group had a pattern of larger positive shifts (0.4–0.7 vs 0.1–0.5 gain), some of which were statistically significant. Participants displayed positive, but not statistically significant, shifts in knowledge and some behaviors. Conclusion and Implications The intervention group experienced more statistically significant gains in attitudes and appeared to have a better pattern of gains in cooking-related knowledge and behaviors. Given limited resources, demonstration cooking classes could reach larger audiences in varied settings, but the impact would likely be weaker than that of cooking classes.