Evaluation of Children’s Cooking Class Program Combining Learning about Well-balanced Meals and Cooking Practice

Abstract

This study aimed to identify changes in children’s knowledge, attitudes and behavior due to a program that combines learning about well-balanced meals and cooking practice through a series of community-based cooking classes.　

This was a non-randomized controlled trial. The comparison group was composed of participants in the cooking class held from April to September 2019, whereas the intervention group had participants of classes from October 2019-February 2020. Each session consisted of (1) a lecture on balanced meals, (2) hands-on cooking. The program of the comparison group consisted only hands-on cooking as before. Questionnaires at baseline and after intervention evaluated knowledge of well-balanced meals and attitudes and behavior related to meal preparation. The data analysis evaluated the intervention effect on the program and behavior during the program implementation period. Changes from the beginning to the end of the program were analyzed using Friedman’s test and Mann-Whitney U test.

In the intervention group, self-assessment of understanding of a well-balanced meal (p<0.001) and cooking experience with parents during the program implementation (p=0.028) improved compared to the control group.　

The intervention group’s knowledge of well-balanced meals increased after the intervention (p=0.002).

The program in combination of learning about well-balanced meals and cooking classes was effective in improving their understanding about well-balanced meals among program participants.