Relationships among Diet Quality, BMI, Cooking Skills and Frequency of Food Preparation: A Pilot Study

Jenna Kourajian¹, Sherri Stastny^1, and Ardith Brunt¹

¹Department of Health, Nutrition & Exercise Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA

Cite this paper:
Jenna Kourajian, Sherri Stastny and Ardith Brunt. Relationships among Diet Quality, BMI, Cooking Skills and Frequency of Food Preparation: A Pilot Study. American Journal of Educational Research. 2017; 5(1):36-42. doi: 10.12691/education-5-1-6

Abstract

Background: Many college students do not have the knowledge to make traditional dishes from simple ingredients, or cook a meal from scratch. Purpose: To evaluate the association between participants’ perceived cooking skills, food preparation frequency, selected indicators of diet quality and BMI. Methods: Non-experimental cross sectional survey design using questionnaire evaluating confidence in cooking skills (PCSS), food preparation frequencies (FPFS), diet quality (frequency of consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy), and anthropometrics among 968 students at one Midwestern university. Correlations and chi square were performed to determine the relationships of PCSS/FPFS, indicators of healthy eating and BMI, and differences in response per variable, respectively. Results: Over half reported feeling very confident in their cooking skills; 15% report preparing meals daily. Higher PCSS was correlated to higher vegetable intake (P<0.001) and meeting the recommendations for vegetables (P<0.001). PCSS was not associated with meeting recommendations for fruits, whole grains, or low-fat dairy. Higher PCSS was correlated with higher BMI (P=0.001). PCSS was positively associated with FPFS (P<0.001). Although higher PCSS was not associated with fruit, whole grain, and low-fat dairy intake, students with higher PCSS may be more likely to prepare and consume vegetables.

Keywords:
nutrition education cooking skills diet quality

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Health Canada. Improving cooking and food preparation skills: a synthesis of the evidence to inform program and policy development. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/child-enfant/cfps-acc-synthes-eng.php. Canada Government, 2011. Accessed September 28, 2016.
[2]	Healthy People 2020. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2010. http://www.healthypeople.gov. Accessed October 12, 2016.
[3]	U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015-2020 dietary guidelines for Americans. 8th ed. https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines-americans. Accessed October 16, 2016.
[4]	Reicks M, Trofholz A, Stang J, et al. Impact of cooking and home food preparation interventions among adults: outcomes and implications for future programs. J Nutr Educ Behav, 2014.
[5]	Laska MN, Larson NI, Neumark-Sztainer D, et al. Does involvement in food preparation track from adolescence to young adulthood and is it associated with better dietary quality? Finding from a 10-year longitudinal study. Pub Health Nutr. 2012; 15(7): 1150-1158.
[6]	Jaffe J, Gertler M. Virtual vicissitudes: consumer deskilling and the (gendered) transformation of food systems. Ag and Human Values. 2006; 23: 143-162.
[7]	Short F. Domestic cooking practice and cooking skills: findings from an English study. Food Service Tech. 2003; 3: 177-185.
[8]	Braverman H. Labor and monopoly capital: the degradation of work in the twentieth century. New York: Monthly Review Press; 1974.
[9]	Kornelson S. Is that the way the cookie crumbles? Consumer deskilling in food systems and the journey toward food sovereignty. Wilfred Laurier University. 2009. http://www.agbio.ca/Docs/Guelph2009SocialSciences/Kornelsen_S_2009.pdf. Accessed October 10, 2016.
[10]	Krieger E. 2013 Lenna Frances Cooper Memorial Lecture. Bringing cooking back: food and culinary expertise as a key to dietitian’s future success. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014; 114(2): 313-319.
[11]	Stockton S, Baker D. Obesity etiology: examination of fast-food eating among college students. J Aging Sci. 2013; 2(1). http://esciencecentral.org/journals/obesity-etiology-examination-of-fastfood-eating-among-college-students.1000114.pdf. Accessed October 2, 2016.
[12]	Short F. Cooking, convenience and dis-connection. Paper presented at Inter: a European Cultural Studies Conference in Sweden 11-13 June 2007.
[13]	Condrasky M, Williams J, Catalano P, et al. Development of psychological scales for evaluating the impact of a culinary nutrition education program on cooking and healthful eating. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2011;43(6):511-516.
[14]	Woodruff S, Kirby A. The associations among family meal frequency, food preparation frequency, self-efficacy for cooking, and food preparation techniques in children and adolescents. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2013; 45(4): 296-303.
[15]	Larson N, Story M, Eisenberg M, et al. Food preparation and purchasing roles among adolescents: associations with sociodemographic characteristics and diet quality. J Am Diet Assoc. 2006; 106: 211-218.
[16]	Larson N, Nelson M, Neumark-Sztainer D. Making time for meals; meal structure and 21 associations with dietary intake in young adults. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009; 109: 72-79.
[17]	Larson N, Perry C, Story M, et al. Food preparation by young adults is associated with better diet quality. J Am Diet Assoc. 2006; 106: 2001-2007.
[18]	Davis J, Bauman K. School enrollment in the United States: 2011. Population Characteristics. U.S. Census Bureau. 2013. https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-571.pdf. Accessed October 25, 2016.
[19]	Utter J, Denny S, Lucassen M, et al. Adolescent cooking abilities and behaviors: associations with nutrition and emotional well-being. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2016; 48(1): 35-41.
[20]	Smith K, McNaughton S, Gall S, et al. Involvement of young Australian adults in meal preparation: cross sectional associations with sociodemographic factors and diet quality. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010; 110: 1363-1367.
[21]	Meah A, Watson M. Saints and slackers: challenging discourses about the decline of domestic cooking. Soc Research Online. 2014; 16(2): 6.