2026 Volume 77 Issue 2 Pages 35-50
The purpose of this study is to examine how involvement in cooking is related to independence (family life independence & overall independence), among female undergraduate students. To achieve this, a questionnaire survey was administered to 917 female undergraduate students, who were categorized into four groups: 349 nutrition majors living at home, 137 nutrition majors living away from home, 295 non-nutrition majors living at home, and 136 non-nutrition majors living away from home. Each group was further divided into high- and low- cooking-orientation subgroups based on students’ attitudes toward cooking, and the relationship between cooking orientation and independence was analyzed. The results showed significant differences in scores for family life independence, overall independence, and the subscales of overall independence (collaborative interpersonal relationships, subjective independence, and life management) across all four groups. In all instances, the high-cooking-orientation group scored higher than the low-cooking-orientation group. Additionally, path analysis revealed that cooking orientation and cooking frequency influence overall independence (including subjective independence, life management, collaborative interpersonal relationships, and positive self-perception) through family life independence. These findings suggest that female undergraduate students' involvement in cooking is positively associated with their independence.
