Effectiveness of a Culinary Class on Food Literacy and Eating Behaviours of Francophone High School Students

NCT ID: NCT04605224

Last Updated: 2020-10-28

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 1003 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-09-10
• Study Completion Date: 2020-01-31

Brief Summary

As the frequency of meals taken outside the home increases, children and youth have less opportunities to develop their food and cooking skills. Consequently, poor food literacy can increase dependence on highly processed foods which generally contain high amounts of calories, fat, sugar and sodium. Past studies have shown positive impacts of culinary-based interventions on adolescents' nutrition knowledge, attitudes, eating behaviours and cooking skills. However, most of these interventions were led outside of the school context, which limits their reach. Since adolescents spend most of their waking hours in school, providing culinary classes in school may be an effective way of promoting adolescents' food literacy. Therefore, the aim of this quasi-experimental study was to assess the effectiveness of an optional culinary class on high school students' food literacy and eating behaviours. Specifically, data were collected among students from five francophone high schools who were enrolled in a culinary class. These students were compared to those who were enrolled in a social studies class. Both classes were 55-70 minutes in duration and were provided five times per week over a full 18-week semester. Data on students' food literacy and eating behaviours were collected via questionnaires during the first and last week of the semester.

Detailed Description

This study used a quasi-experimental design. Students from five francophone high schools in the province of New Brunswick, Canada, who were enrolled in an optional culinary class were compared to students from those same schools who were enrolled in a social studies class. The culinary class is a hands-on course which teaches students how to measure and weigh ingredients, read and follow recipes, apply various food preparation, cooking and assembly techniques, as well as prepare meals. In contrast, the social studies class is a mandatory theory-based course which teaches students how to maintain positive relationships, how to become a productive member of society and how to make responsible and informed choices related to their health. Both classes are 55-70 minutes in duration and are provided daily over an 18-week semester.

A questionnaire was developed based on two previously validated food literacy questionnaires and assessed food and cooking skills, as well as eating behaviours. This pen and paper questionnaire was completed by students in both the culinary class and the social studies class during the first and last week of the semester (September 2019 and January 2020). Multilevel regressions will be used to assess the effectiveness of the culinary class on students' food literacy and eating behaviours as compared to the social studies class.

Conditions

Eating Behavior; Fruit and Vegetable Intake

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: CASE_CONTROL
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Culinary class (intervention group)

The culinary class is 55-70 minutes in duration and is offered daily, Monday to Friday, over an 18-week semester (September 2019 to January 2020).

Culinary class

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This hands-on, optional course teaches students how to measure and weigh ingredients, read and follow recipes, apply various food preparation, cooking and assembly techniques, as well as prepare meals, as per the provincial curriculum

Social studies class (control group)

The social studies class is 55-70 minutes in duration and is offered daily, Monday to Friday, over an 18-week semester (September 2019 to January 2020).

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Culinary class

This hands-on, optional course teaches students how to measure and weigh ingredients, read and follow recipes, apply various food preparation, cooking and assembly techniques, as well as prepare meals, as per the provincial curriculum

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

Cuisine professionnelle

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Be enrolled in either the culinary class or social studies class in the fall semester of 2019

Exclusion Criteria

• None

• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Universite de Moncton

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Stephanie Ward

Adjunct Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Stephanie A Ward, PhD, RD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Universite de Moncton

Locations

Universite de Moncton

Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

Countries

Canada

References

Lavelle F, McGowan L, Hollywood L, Surgenor D, McCloat A, Mooney E, Caraher M, Raats M, Dean M. The development and validation of measures to assess cooking skills and food skills. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017 Sep 2;14(1):118. doi: 10.1186/s12966-017-0575-y.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 28865452 (View on PubMed)

Wilson AM, Magarey AM, Mastersson N. Reliability and relative validity of a child nutrition questionnaire to simultaneously assess dietary patterns associated with positive energy balance and food behaviours, attitudes, knowledge and environments associated with healthy eating. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2008 Jan 29;5:5. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-5-5.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 18226268 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

1920-002

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id