The Library

The impact of a community-based food skills intervention on cooking confidence food preparation methods and dietary choices – an exploratory trial

Tools

Wrieden, Wendy L., Anderson, Annie S., Longbottom, Pat J., Valentine, Karen, Stead, Martine, Caraher, Martin, Lang , Tim, Gray, Bill and Dowler, Elizabeth. (2007) The impact of a community-based food skills intervention on cooking confidence food preparation methods and dietary choices – an exploratory trial. Public Health Nutrition, Vol.10 (No.2). pp. 203-211. ISSN 1368-9800

Preview

PDF
WRAP_Dowler_Impact_community.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
Download (139Kb)

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1368980007246658

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of undertaking a food skills intervention study in areas of social deprivation aimed at altering cooking confidence, food preparation methods and dietary choices.

Design A standardised skills programme was implemented in community-based settings. Pre- (T1) and post-intervention (T2) and 6-month follow-up (T3) measures (7-day diaries and self-administered questionnaires) were undertaken in intervention and comparison groups.

Setting Eight urban communities in Scotland.

Subjects One hundred and thirteen adults living in areas of social deprivation.

Results It was clear that many subjects led fragmented lives and found commitment to intervention classes problematic. Sixty-three subjects completed the final (T3) assessments. The response to each component varied due to inability to attend sessions, illness, study requirements, employment, moving out of the area, change in circumstances, loss of interest and loss of postal questionnaires. At baseline, reported consumption of fruit and vegetables was low (mean frequency 8.1 ± 4.78 times per week). Fruit intake increased significantly (P < 0.05) between T1 and T2 in the intervention group (1.7 ± 2.36 to 2.7 ± 3.28 times per week) only. Between T1 and T3, there was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in intervention subjects who reported confidence in following a recipe (67–90%,).

Conclusions This exploratory trial shows that a food skills intervention is likely to have a small but positive effect on food choice and confidence in food preparation. A full-scale randomised controlled trial in this hard-to-reach group would require a range of flexible approaches rather than a fully defined intervention, and presents challenges for trial design.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare

Divisions:

Faculty of Social Sciences > Sociology

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Nutrition -- Study and teaching -- Scotland, Public health -- Research -- Scotland, Cookery -- Study and teaching -- Scotland, Poor -- Health and hygiene -- Scotland, Home economics -- Study and teaching -- Scotland

Journal or Publication Title:

Public Health Nutrition

Publisher:

Cambridge University Press

ISSN:

1368-9800

Official Date:

30 January 2007

Dates:

Date	Event
30 January 2007	Published

Volume:

Vol.10

Number:

No.2

Page Range:

pp. 203-211

Identification Number:

10.1017/S1368980007246658

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Access rights to Published version:

Open Access

Funder:

Great Britain. Food Standards Agency (FSA)

References:

1 Department of Health. Nutritional Aspects of Cardiovascular Disease. Report on Health and Social Subjects No 46. London: HMSO, 1994.
2 The Scottish Office. The Scottish Diet: Report of a Working Party to the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland. Edinburgh: The Scottish Office Home and Health Department, HMSO, 1993.
3 World Cancer Research Fund, American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective. Washington, DC: American Institute for Cancer Research, 1997.
4 The Scottish Office. Scotland's Health. A Challenge to Us All. Eating for Health: A Diet Action Plan for Scotland. Edinburgh: The Scottish Office Department of Health, HMSO, 1996.
5 Joint Health Surveys Unit. The Scottish Health Survey 1998, Volume 1. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Health Department, TSO, 2000.
6 Forsyth, A, MacIntyre, S, Anderson, A. Diets for disease? Intraurban variations in reported food consumption in Glasgow. Appetite 1994; 22: 259–63.
7 McGlone, P, Dobson, B, Dowler, E, Nelson, M. Food Projects and How they Work. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 1999.
8 Watson, A, Williams, V. Review of Existing UK Work on Food and Low-income Initiatives. Brighton: A report for the Food Standards Agency by Food Matters, 2003. Also available at http//www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/lowincamefinalreport.pdf.
9 Robinson, N, Caraher, M, Lang, T. Access to shops; the views of low income shoppers. Health Education Journal 2001; 59: 121–36.
10 Cummins, S, MacIntyre, S. Food deserts – evidence and assumption in health policy making. British Medical Journal 2002; 325: 436–8.
11 Dibsdall, L, Lambert, N, Bobbin, R, Frewer, L. Low-income consumers' attitudes and behaviour towards access, availability and motivation to eat fruit and vegetables. Public Health Nutrition 2003; 6: 159–69.
12 Dibsdall, LA, Lambert, N, Frewer, LJ. Using interpretative phenomenology to understand the experiences of a low income group of UK women towards aspects of food choice and health. Journal of Nutrition Education 2002; 34: 298–309.
13 Dowler, E, Calvert, C. Nutrition and Diet in Lone-parent Families in London. London: Family Policy Studies Centre, 1995.
14 Lang, T, Caraher, M, Dixon, P, Carr-Hill, R. Cooking Skills and Health. London: Health Education Authority, 1999.
15 Stookey, JD, Barker, ME. The diets of low-income women: the role of culinary knowledge. Appetite 1995; 24: 286.
16 Cresswell, J. Get Cooking Project Report. Glasgow: Greater Glasgow Health Board Health Promotion Department, 1995.
17 Grampian Health Board. Now You're Cooking. Final Report to Grampian Health Board, Primary Care Development Fund, 1997/98.
18 Dobson, B, Kellard, K, Talbot, D. A Recipe for Success? An Evaluation of a Community Food Project. Loughborough: Centre for Research in Social Policy, Loughborough University, 2000.
19 National Food Alliance. Get Cooking. London: National Food Alliance, Department of Health, 1993.
20 Neathey, H, Rowles, SJ. Evaluation of Get Cooking! Enhanced Pilot. Report prepared for the Food Standards Agency Wales. Cardiff: Beaufort Research, 2004.
21 Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). Focus on Food. The Appreciation, Design, Production, Cultural and Social Importance of Food. Dean Clough, Halifax: RSA, 1997.
22 The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). The RSA Focus on Food Campaign: An Update. Dean Clough, Halifax: RSA, 1998.
23 Caraher, M, Lang, T. Evaluating Cooking Skills Classes: A Report to Health Promotion Wales. Cardiff: Health Promotion Wales, 1995.
24 Auld, G, Fulton, D. Value of theoretically based cooking classes for increasing use of commodity foods. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 1995; 95: 85–7.
25 Scottish Consumer Council. The Directory of Community Food Initiatives. Glasgow: Scottish Consumer Council, 2004.
26 Craigie, A. A Quantitative Evaluation of the Scottish Community Diet Project's Grant Giving Systems 2001–03. Scottish Community Diet Project 2005 (available from the Scottish Community Diet Project, c/o Scottish Consumer Council, Glasgow, UK).
27 Scottish Executive. Social Focus on Deprived Areas [online], 2005. Available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/09/2792129/21311.
28 Stead, M, Caraher, M, Wrieden, W, Longbottom, P, Valentine, K, Anderson, A. Confident, fearful and hopeless cooks, findings from the development of a food-skills initiative. British Food Journal 2004; 106: 274–87.
29 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Efficacy of Interventions to Modify Dietary Behavior Related to Cancer Risk. Summary, Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 25; AHRQ Publication No. 01-E028. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, November 2000. Also available at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/dietsumm.htm.
30 Anderson, AS, Bell, A, Adamson, A, Moynihan, P. A questionnaire assessment of nutrition knowledge – validity and reliability issues. Public Health Nutrition 2002; 5: 497–503.
31 Joint Health Surveys Unit. The Scottish Health Survey 1998, Volume 2. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Health Department, TSO, 2000.
32 Gregory, JR, Collins, DL, Davies, PSW, Hughes, JM, Clarke, PC. National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Children Aged 1 1/2 to 4 1/2. Volume 1. Report of the Diet and Nutrition Survey. London: HMSO, 1995.
33 Gregory, J, Lowe, S. National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Young People Aged 4–18 years. Volume 1: Report of the Diet and Nutrition Survey. London: The Stationery Office, 2000.
34 Williams, C. Healthy eating: clarifying advice about fruit and vegetables. British Medical Journal 1995; 310: 1453–5.
35 Wrieden, W, Connaghan, JP, Morrison, C, Tunstall-Pedoe, H. Secular and socio-economomic trends in compliance with dietary targets in the north Glasgow MONICA population surveys 1986–95: did social gradients widen? Public Health Nutrition 2004; 7: 835–42.
36 Kennedy, LA. Community involvement at what cost? – local appraisal of a pan-European nutrition promotion programme in low income neighbourhoods. Health Promotion International 2001; 16: 35–45.
37 Wrieden, WL, Stead, M, Caraher, M, Longbottom, P, Valentine, K, Anderson, AS. The impact of a community-based practical food skills intervention (CookWell) on assisting dietary change: qualitative findings. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2002; 61: 157A.
38 Anderson, AS. Diet. In: Sancho-Garnier, H, Biedermaan, A, Slama, K, Anderson, AS, Lynge, E, eds. Evidence-based Cancer Prevention Strategies for NGOs. A Handbook for Europe. Geneva: UICC, 2004; 95–111.
39 Barton, K, Wrieden, WL, Anderson, AS. Validity and reliability of a short questionnaire for assessing impact of cooking skills interventions. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2005; 64: 101A.
40 Stead, M, Hastings, G, Eadie, D. The challenge of evaluating complex interventions: a framework for evaluating media advocacy. Health Education Research 2002; 17: 351–64.
41 Allison, KR, Rootman, I. Scientific rigour and community participation in health promotion research: are they compatible? Health Promotion International 1996; 11: 333–40.