An Experiential Cooking and Nutrition Education Program Increases Cooking Self-Efficacy and Vegetable Consumption in Children in Grades 3-8

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• 作者：Elizabeth Jarpe-Ratner ; MPH¹ ; ^&dagger ; ; Stephanie Folkens ; BA² ; Sonika Sharma ; MS² ; Deborah Daro ; PhD³ ; Neilé ; K. Edens ; PhD² ; ^{nedens@commonthreads.org" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author}
• 关键词：elementary school ; middle school ; vegetable preference ; vegetable liking ; food preference ; cooking
• 刊名：Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：November-December 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：48
• 期：10
• 页码：697-705.e1
• 全文大小：250 K

文摘

Evaluate the effect of a community-based, experiential cooking and nutrition education program on consumption of fruits and vegetables and associated intermediate outcomes in students from low-income families.

Design

Quasi-experimental program evaluation by pre–post survey of participating students and their parents.

Setting

Underserved elementary and middle schools in Chicago.

Participants

Students (n = 271; 65% girls, 44% Hispanic, 32% African American; 94% eligible for free/reduced price lunch) in grades 3–8 selected by school staff to participate by variable inclusion criteria. 59% of students who applied returned both pre- and post-surveys.

Intervention(s)

Ten-week (2 h/wk) chef-instructor–led program held in cafeteria kitchens after school.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Changes in student nutrition knowledge, cooking self-efficacy, fruit and vegetable liking and consumption, and communication to family about healthy eating.

Analysis

Changes from beginning to end of program were analyzed with paired t test. Results were considered significant at P < .05.

Results

Increased nutrition knowledge score from 0.6 to 0.8, cooking self-efficacy score from 3.2 to 3.6, and vegetable consumption score from 2.2 to 2.4 (all P < .05). Increased score for communication about healthy eating (4.1 to 4.4; P < .05) 6 months after the end of the course.

Conclusions and Implications

Experiential cooking and nutrition education programs led by chef-instructors may be effective ways to improve nutrition in low-income communities.