Effects of a Culinary Boot Camp intervention on food/nutrition aptitudes and dietary intake of college students

College students face unique challenges with leading healthful lifestyles. Using a community-based participatory research approach, college student research partners at two land-grant universities collected data and developed a tailored intervention to improve the well-being of college students. To inform the design of the program, college students were trained to conduct a needs assessment that included a campus-wide survey on the health behaviors of college students, environmental audits of health policies and food pantries on campus, and stakeholder interviews with campus health professionals. Outcomes of the needs assessment data highlighted university students ranked their health as “good” but nutrition health as “fair/poor.” Low or very low food security was self-reported by 36.9% of participants and had an overall diet quality score of 47.6 ± 10.1 out of 100. Health professional interview data indicated campuses provide healthful resources to students, but students are not aware those resources exist. Utilizing the needs assessment data previously mentioned, the nominal group technique was then used for student research partners to collaboratively determine the best intervention approaches and develop a wellness program. Student partners identified (1) education, (2) sharing of campus resources, and (3) incentives as important areas of intervention. Using the data collected, the student research partners developed a program titled, The College Cooking Connection, to address health-related quality of life in college students. Using a community-based participatory research approach to program planning, educators and researchers have a greater likelihood of addressing the current needs of the population they are targeting and developing a successful intervention to meet those health concerns. This study aims to partner with young adult university students to understand the college environment and allow the target community to be involved with the development of intervention programs for their campus.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community-Based Participatory Research: Partnering with College Students to Develop a Tailored, Wellness-Focused Intervention for University Campuses

Barr

McNamara

2022

“…Researchers have conducted interventions within the college student population using CBPR, which led to improvements in diet quality and mealtime behavior regulation, physical activity, and alcohol consumption [ 19 ], but mental health and food security have not been explored. When looking for guidance on evidence-based programming to influence behavior change for these variables, theories of behavior change, such as Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), can be implemented.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Young adults' (ages [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] lifestyle habits and behaviors are inscribed from their youth environment and parental influence. As they leave their childhood homes and attend college, many young adults experience newfound living independence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community-Based Designed Pilot Cooking and Texting Intervention on Health-Related Quality of Life among College Students

Barr-Porter,

Sullivan,

Watras

et al. 2024

As emerging adulthood is an important area of life for developing healthful habits, the current study aimed to test the feasibility of a pilot program for improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL), food security, and diet quality among college students. Students 18–26 years old were recruited from two land-grant institutions to participate in an online survey and self-selected to participate in an intervention study. An intervention program was developed by student peers to include (1) a four-session cooking curriculum and a (2) semester-long text message program to share health resources on the relevant college campus. Diet quality, food security, and mentally healthy days were assessed. Baseline to post-program changes were assessed using paired t-tests. Cohen’s d was used to determine effect size estimates. In the full sample (N = 65), “days/month when mental health was not good” and “days/month feeling worried, tense, or anxious” significantly improved (p < 0.05). Dietary quality measures of total short Healthy Eating Index (sHEI) score and total vegetable intake significantly improved throughout the intervention. Subsamples of (1) food-insecure participants (n = 22) and those with (2) dietary quality below the 50th percentile (n = 29) both had positive improvements following the program. Health promotion programs should be formed, adapted, or expanded in an effort to improve health among our next generation of workers. College and university environments should focus on mental health, diet, and food security among their constituents, particularly with regard to those at risk.

“…Szczepanski et al developed Culinary Boot Camp, a college-based nutrition education program that aimed to improve diet quality and nutrition knowledge [5]. The four-week curriculum provided upperclassmen with a 30 min nutrition lesson, an hour-long cooking experience, and a 20 min group mealtime.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Master Chef: A Curriculum to Promote Nutrition and Mindful Eating among College Students

Parsons,

Strout,

Winn

et al. 2024

Research suggests that success in improving undergraduates’ diet quality can benefit from a multifaceted approach, incorporating nutrition education, mindful eating, and culinary skill-building. The current study aimed (1) to review the development of Master Chef, a mindful eating curriculum, and (2) assess its feasibility through an online expert review. Expert reviewers were recruited through an online mindful eating course. Survey questions included both Likert-style and open-ended questions. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Two independent researchers coded qualitative data, which then underwent inductive thematic analysis. Reviewers (N = 7) were experts in the fields of nutrition, psychology, and mindful eating. Master Chef’s overall feasibility was rated highly. The overall curriculum was perceived positively. However, it was recommended that the program include more mindfulness. Master Chef was identified as a feasible program for improving the health behaviors of college students. Pilot dissemination and analysis will be necessary to assess the program’s effectiveness in supporting disease prevention among undergraduates.