Impact and evaluation of an online culinary nutrition course for health, education and industry professionals to promote vegetable knowledge and consumption

Roberta C Asher; Erin D Clarke; Tamara Bucher; Vanessa A Shrewsbury; Steven Roberts; Clare E Collins

doi:10.1111/jhn.13109

Impact and evaluation of an online culinary nutrition course for health, education and industry professionals to promote vegetable knowledge and consumption

J Hum Nutr Diet. 2023 Jun;36(3):967-980. doi: 10.1111/jhn.13109. Epub 2022 Nov 20.

Authors

Roberta C Asher^{1

2}, Erin D Clarke^{1

2}, Tamara Bucher^{2

3}, Vanessa A Shrewsbury^{1

2}, Steven Roberts⁴, Clare E Collins^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, Callaghan, Australia.
² Food and Nutrition Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.
³ School of Environmental and Life Sciences, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, Callaghan, Australia.
⁴ Rijk Zwaan Australia Pty. Ltd, Daylesford, Australia.

Abstract

Background: Poor diet, including inadequate vegetable intake, is a leading risk factor for noncommunicable disease. Culinary and nutrition education provided to trainee and practising health and education professionals is an emerging strategy to promote improved dietary intake, including vegetable consumption. We evaluated the impact and feasibility of an online culinary medicine and nutrition (CM/CN) short course for health, education and vegetable industry professionals. The course aimed to improve participants' skills and confidence to prepare vegetables, knowledge of evidence-based nutrition information and recommendations for improving vegetable consumption and diet quality.

Methods: A pre-post study consisting of two separate groups participating in two course rounds recruited practising professionals (n = 30) working in health; community, adult and/or culinary education; and the vegetable industry. Evaluation assessed diet quality, vegetable consumption barriers, cooking and food skill confidence, nutrition knowledge and process measures.

Results: Seventeen participants (68%) completed the programme. Pre- to postintervention statistically significant increases in vegetables (M 1.3, SD 2.2), fruit (M 1.6, SD 3.1), and breads and cereal (M 1.1, SD 1.7) intakes were observed. Statistically significant increases and large effect sizes for mean food skill confidence scores (M 8.9, SD 15.4, Cohen's d 0.56) and nutrition knowledge scores (M 6.2, SD 15.4, Cohen's d 0.83) were also observed pre- to postintervention.

Conclusions: The short online course was feasible and improved diet quality, food skill confidence and nutrition knowledge. Online CM/CN education for practising professionals represents a promising area of research. Future research involving a larger study sample and a more rigorous study design such as a randomised control trial is warranted.

Keywords: continuing professional development; cooking education; culinary medicine; culinary nutrition; online culinary education; vegetables.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Diet
Eating
Feeding Behavior*
Fruit
Humans
Nutritional Status
Vegetables*