Cooking Matters for Kids Improves Attitudes and Self-Efficacy Related to Healthy Eating and Cooking.

OBJECTIVE

To assess changes in self-efficacy and attitudes related to healthy eating and cooking in Cooking Matters for Kids participants.

DESIGN

Prepost study design.

SETTING

Cooking Matters for Kids programs offered by 35 organizations.

PARTICIPANTS

Predominantly third- to fifth-grade children participating in Cooking Matters for Kids lessons during fiscal years 2012-17 with matched presurvey and postsurveys (n = 18,113).

INTERVENTION(S): Cooking Matters for Kids consists of six 2-hour experiential nutrition and cooking education lessons.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Self-efficacy related to healthy eating and cooking and attitudes toward healthy foods assessed through the Cooking Matters for Kids Participant Survey.

ANALYSIS

Changes from the presurvey to postsurvey were assessed using mixed models and repeated measures ordered logistic regression accounting for clustering by course. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen d for repeated measures. A Bonferroni adjustment was used to correct for multiple comparisons (α = 0.025).

RESULTS

Both overall and individual self-efficacy and attitude scores improved from presurvey to postsurvey (P < 0.0001). The effect sizes were 0.35 for overall self-efficacy score and 0.17 for overall attitude score.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Participation in Cooking Matters for Kids was associated with improvements in self-efficacy and attitudes related to healthy eating and cooking.