Year: 2020
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This dissertation examined the perceptions of a community-based cooking skills and nutrition education class that included an availability sample of adult learners who attended monthly classes offered from 2017-2018. The study was a mixed-methods research design using extant data. Participants completed a nine-question post survey. Two newly developed Likert type scales measured nutrition related self-efficacy and food resource management. Four survey questions were summed as Nutrition Empowerment Score (NES), four survey questions were summed as Food Resource Management Score (FRMS), and one open-ended question provided qualitative data. A total of 12 months of data were used for analysis. The new NES scale showed good reliability, while the FRMS scale did not meet the threshold for reliability. The relationship between NES and FRMS was statistically significant with a moderately positive relationship between the variables. The relationship between NES and the Good and Cheap, Eating Well on $4 a Day curriculum was statistically significant, however, the relationship between the teaching kitchen environment and the class instructor were not statistically significant. Qualitative analysis revealed positive perceptions from participants related to the research variables. The curriculum and teaching kitchen used suggested knowledge gained and application to the home environment. Participants also reported social benefits from the class and a positive view of the various instructors. This study suggests that community-based organizations have a variety of low-cost options related to the teaching kitchen environment and instructor when implementing hands-on nutrition education (HONE) programs using the Good and Cheap curriculum.
Author: Melissa C. Powell
Language: English
Subfield: Nutrition and Dietetics
Field: Nursing
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3016130835