Eating BehaviorNCT04605224
Effectiveness of a Culinary Class on Food Literacy and Eating Behaviours of Francophone High School Students
An observational study of Eating Behavior and Fruit and Vegetable Intake, run by Universite de Moncton at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
As the frequency of meals taken outside the home increases, children and youth have less opportunities to develop their food and cooking skills. Consequently, poor food literacy can increase dependence on highly processed foods which generally contain high amounts of calories, fat, sugar and sodium. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Eating Behavior, Fruit and Vegetable Intake
- What is being tested?
- Culinary class
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- How many people
- 1,003 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 10 Sep 2019to 31 Jan 2020
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: Participants are students enrolled in the Culinary class or Social Studies class in the fall of 2019, in the 5 recruited francophone high schools in the province of New Brunswick, Canada.
Who may be able to join
- Be enrolled in either the culinary class or social studies class in the fall semester of 2019
Who cannot join
- None
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
As the frequency of meals taken outside the home increases, children and youth have less opportunities to develop their food and cooking skills. Consequently, poor food literacy can increase dependence on highly processed foods which generally contain high amounts of calories, fat, sugar and sodium. Past studies have shown positive impacts of culinary-based interventions on adolescents' nutrition knowledge, attitudes, eating behaviours and cooking skills. However, most of these interventions were led outside of the school context, which limits their reach. Since adolescents spend most of their waking hours in school, providing culinary classes in school may be an effective way of promoting adolescents' food literacy. Therefore, the aim of this quasi-experimental study was to assess the effectiveness of an optional culinary class on high school students' food literacy and eating behaviours. Specifically, data were collected among students from five francophone high schools who were enrolled in a culinary class. These students were compared to those who were enrolled in a social studies class. Both classes were 55-70 minutes in duration and were provided five times per week over a full 18-week semester. Data on students' food literacy and eating behaviours were collected via questionnaires during the first and last week of the semester.
Read the detailed description
This study used a quasi-experimental design. Students from five francophone high schools in the province of New Brunswick, Canada, who were enrolled in an optional culinary class were compared to students from those same schools who were enrolled in a social studies class. The culinary class is a hands-on course which teaches students how to measure and weigh ingredients, read and follow recipes, apply various food preparation, cooking and assembly techniques, as well as prepare meals. In contrast, the social studies class is a mandatory theory-based course which teaches students how to maintain positive relationships, how to become a productive member of society and how to make responsible and informed choices related to their health. Both classes are 55-70 minutes in duration and are provided daily over an 18-week semester.
A questionnaire was developed based on two previously validated food literacy questionnaires and assessed food and cooking skills, as well as eating behaviours. This pen and paper questionnaire was completed by students in both the culinary class and the social studies class during the first and last week of the semester (September 2019 and January 2020). Multilevel regressions will be used to assess the effectiveness of the culinary class on students' food literacy and eating behaviours as compared to the social studies class.
- Conditions
- Eating Behavior, Fruit and Vegetable Intake
- Being tested
- Culinary class
- Keywords
- School, Cooking class, Culinary class, Food literacy, Cooking skills, Food skills
- Medical subject headings
- Feeding Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Culinary classBehavioural
Also called Cuisine professionnelle
This hands-on, optional course teaches students how to measure and weigh ingredients, read and follow recipes, apply various food preparation, cooking and assembly techniques, as well as prepare meals, as per the provincial curriculum
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Culinary class (intervention group) | The culinary class is 55-70 minutes in duration and is offered daily, Monday to Friday, over an 18-week semester (September 2019 to January 2020). Receives: Behavioral: Culinary class | |
| Social studies class (control group) | The social studies class is 55-70 minutes in duration and is offered daily, Monday to Friday, over an 18-week semester (September 2019 to January 2020). |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change from baseline in cooking skills at the end of the school semester
The validated 14-item cooking skills question assesses how good students feel they are at performing each cooking skill on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 7 (very good) with the option "Never/rarely do it" (0) given as an option. Change is measured by the difference between the total score (0 to 98) obtained at the end of the semester (18 weeks) minus the total score obtained at baseline.
Measured: Baseline and Week 18
Change from baseline in food skills at the end of the school semester
The validated 12-item food skills question assesses how good students feel they are at performing each food skill on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 7 (very good) with the option "Never/rarely do it" (0) given as an option. Change is measured by the difference between the total score (0 to 84) obtained at the end of the semester (18 weeks) minus the total score obtained at baseline.
Measured: Baseline and Week 18
Change from baseline in eating behaviours at the end of the school semester
Eating behaviours were measured using two separate questions. The first question, based on the NB Student Wellness Survey, assessed how often students consumed breakfast in the previous week (0 pt = never to 7 pt = 7 times).
The second question was based on a previously validated questionnaire. This question assessed how often students did 6 different eating related behaviours. Response options ranged from "never or rarely" (0 pt) to "every day" (3 pts), for a maximum total score of 18 points.
These two questions were combined to provide a total score ranging from 0 to 25 points. Change is measured by the difference between the total score (0 to 25) obtained at the end of the semester (18 weeks) minus the total score obtained at baseline.
Measured: Baseline and Week 18
Change from baseline in fruit and vegetable intake at the end of the school semester
Intake was measured using 7 items of a previously validated questionnaire. One question assessed how many servings of vegetables and how many servings of fruit they usually eat each day. Response options ranged from "I don't eat vegetables/fruit" (0 pt) to "more than 5 servings per day" (5 pts). Another question assessed whether students had eaten or were planning on eating various types of foods at breakfast, lunch or snack that day. One point was given every time a vegetable or fruit product was checked, for a maximum of 9 points. A third question assessed whether they had consumed the listed fruit or vegetable the previous day. Scores ranged from 0 to 4 points.
The sum of these questions provided a total possible score of 25 points. Change is measured by the difference between the total score (0 to 25) obtained at the end of the semester (18 weeks) minus the total score obtained at baseline.
Measured: Baseline and Week 18
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted27 Oct 2020
- Study start10 Sep 2019
- Primary completion31 Jan 2020
- Study completion31 Jan 2020
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Eating BehaviorStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 1,003 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universite de Moncton
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Stephanie Ward, Universite de Moncton
- Investigators
- Stephanie A Ward, PhD, RD, Principal investigator, Universite de Moncton
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04605224
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 1920-002
- Status last verified
- Oct 2020
- First submitted
- 21 Oct 2020
- Last updated
- 28 Oct 2020
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided: Individual participant data will be made available to researchers upon reasonable request made to the principal investigator.
Publications
Lavelle F, McGowan L, Hollywood L, Surgenor D, McCloat A, Mooney E, Caraher M, Raats M, Dean M. The development and validation of measures to assess cooking skills and food skills. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017 Sep 2;14(1):118. doi: 10.1186/s12966-017-0575-y.
PubMed 28865452Wilson AM, Magarey AM, Mastersson N. Reliability and relative validity of a child nutrition questionnaire to simultaneously assess dietary patterns associated with positive energy balance and food behaviours, attitudes, knowledge and environments associated with healthy eating. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2008 Jan 29;5:5. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-5-5.
PubMed 18226268
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Oct 2020. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effectiveness of a Culinary Class on Food Literacy and Eating Behaviours of Francophone High School Students
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04605224
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 1920-002
- Conditions
- Eating Behavior, Fruit and Vegetable Intake
- Keywords
- School, Cooking class, Culinary class, Food literacy, Cooking skills, Food skills
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 1,003 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Universite de MonctonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 Sep 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jan 2020 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Jan 2020 (actual)
- First posted
- 27 Oct 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
As the frequency of meals taken outside the home increases, children and youth have less opportunities to develop their food and cooking skills. Consequently, poor food literacy can increase dependence on highly processed foods which generally contain high amounts of calories, fat, sugar and sodium. Past studies have shown positive impacts of culinary-based interventions on adolescents' nutrition knowledge, attitudes, eating behaviours and cooking skills. However, most of these interventions were led outside of the school context, which limits their reach. Since adolescents spend most of their waking hours in school, providing culinary classes in school may be an effective way of promoting adolescents' food literacy. Therefore, the aim of this quasi-experimental study was to assess the effectiveness of an optional culinary class on high school students' food literacy and eating behaviours. Specifically, data were collected among students from five francophone high schools who were enrolled in a culinary class. These students were compared to those who were enrolled in a social studies class. Both classes were 55-70 minutes in duration and were provided five times per week over a full 18-week semester. Data on students' food literacy and eating behaviours were collected via questionnaires during the first and last week of the semester.
Detailed description
This study used a quasi-experimental design. Students from five francophone high schools in the province of New Brunswick, Canada, who were enrolled in an optional culinary class were compared to students from those same schools who were enrolled in a social studies class. The culinary class is a hands-on course which teaches students how to measure and weigh ingredients, read and follow recipes, apply various food preparation, cooking and assembly techniques, as well as prepare meals. In contrast, the social studies class is a mandatory theory-based course which teaches students how to maintain positive relationships, how to become a productive member of society and how to make responsible and informed choices related to their health. Both classes are 55-70 minutes in duration and are provided daily over an 18-week semester.
A questionnaire was developed based on two previously validated food literacy questionnaires and assessed food and cooking skills, as well as eating behaviours. This pen and paper questionnaire was completed by students in both the culinary class and the social studies class during the first and last week of the semester (September 2019 and January 2020). Multilevel regressions will be used to assess the effectiveness of the culinary class on students' food literacy and eating behaviours as compared to the social studies class.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Culinary class (intervention group) | – | Behavioral: Culinary classThe culinary class is 55-70 minutes in duration and is offered daily, Monday to Friday, over an 18-week semester (September 2019 to January 2020). |
| Social studies class (control group) | – | –The social studies class is 55-70 minutes in duration and is offered daily, Monday to Friday, over an 18-week semester (September 2019 to January 2020). |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Participants are students enrolled in the Culinary class or Social Studies class in the fall of 2019, in the 5 recruited francophone high schools in the province of New Brunswick, Canada.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Be enrolled in either the culinary class or social studies class in the fall semester of 2019
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- None
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Culinary classAlso: Cuisine professionnelleThis hands-on, optional course teaches students how to measure and weigh ingredients, read and follow recipes, apply various food preparation, cooking and assembly techniques, as well as prepare meals, as per the provincial curriculum | Behavioural | Culinary class (intervention group) |
Primary outcome
Change from baseline in cooking skills at the end of the school semester
Time frame: Baseline and Week 18
The validated 14-item cooking skills question assesses how good students feel they are at performing each cooking skill on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 7 (very good) with the option "Never/rarely do it" (0) given as an option. Change is measured by the difference between the total score (0 to 98) obtained at the end of the semester (18 weeks) minus the total score obtained at baseline.
Change from baseline in food skills at the end of the school semester
Time frame: Baseline and Week 18
The validated 12-item food skills question assesses how good students feel they are at performing each food skill on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 7 (very good) with the option "Never/rarely do it" (0) given as an option. Change is measured by the difference between the total score (0 to 84) obtained at the end of the semester (18 weeks) minus the total score obtained at baseline.
Change from baseline in eating behaviours at the end of the school semester
Time frame: Baseline and Week 18
Eating behaviours were measured using two separate questions. The first question, based on the NB Student Wellness Survey, assessed how often students consumed breakfast in the previous week (0 pt = never to 7 pt = 7 times). The second question was based on a previously validated questionnaire. This question assessed how often students did 6 different eating related behaviours. Response options ranged from "never or rarely" (0 pt) to "every day" (3 pts), for a maximum total score of 18 points. These two questions were combined to provide a total score ranging from 0 to 25 points. Change is measured by the difference between the total score (0 to 25) obtained at the end of the semester (18 weeks) minus the total score obtained at baseline.
Change from baseline in fruit and vegetable intake at the end of the school semester
Time frame: Baseline and Week 18
Intake was measured using 7 items of a previously validated questionnaire. One question assessed how many servings of vegetables and how many servings of fruit they usually eat each day. Response options ranged from "I don't eat vegetables/fruit" (0 pt) to "more than 5 servings per day" (5 pts). Another question assessed whether students had eaten or were planning on eating various types of foods at breakfast, lunch or snack that day. One point was given every time a vegetable or fruit product was checked, for a maximum of 9 points. A third question assessed whether they had consumed the listed fruit or vegetable the previous day. Scores ranged from 0 to 4 points. The sum of these questions provided a total possible score of 25 points. Change is measured by the difference between the total score (0 to 25) obtained at the end of the semester (18 weeks) minus the total score obtained at baseline.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Oct 2020.
- Background: PubMed 28865452Lavelle F, McGowan L, Hollywood L, Surgenor D, McCloat A, Mooney E, Caraher M, Raats M, Dean M. The development and validation of measures to assess cooking skills and food skills. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017 Sep 2;14(1):118. doi: 10.1186/s12966-017-0575-y.
- Background: PubMed 18226268Wilson AM, Magarey AM, Mastersson N. Reliability and relative validity of a child nutrition questionnaire to simultaneously assess dietary patterns associated with positive energy balance and food behaviours, attitudes, knowledge and environments associated with healthy eating. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2008 Jan 29;5:5. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-5-5.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. Individual participant data will be made available to researchers upon reasonable request made to the principal investigator.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Stephanie A Ward, PhD, RD principal investigator
Universite de Moncton
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Eating Behavior and Fruit and Vegetable Intake, run by Universite de Moncton at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Oct 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change from baseline in cooking skills at the end of the school semester (time frame: Baseline and Week 18). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04605224, which also lists 2 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Oct 2020.