Taking the cooking out of food: nutrition & the national curriculum

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 pre- and 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.

Healthy eating in schools and "eating disorders"--are "healthy eating" messages part of the problem or part of the solution?

This is a discussion paper which raises questions about the possible links between health education which exhorts young people to watch their weight and eat a healthy diet and the increase in disturbed eating patterns and the desire to be thin, particularly amongst girls. It doesn't especially offer "answers", but suggests that research would be needed to investigate whether such a link exists. The paper derives from my own concerns as a health educator about how health messages are received. The background to concern about weight among young people is described, and some initiatives in schools which may help are discussed.