Evaluation of the effectiveness of the Ministry of Food cooking programme on self-reported food consumption and confidence with cooking

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Ministry of Food (MoF) cooking programme on self-reported food consumption and confidence with cooking.

Design: A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the MoF 8-week cooking course, using a pre-test/post-test study. Pre, post and 6-month follow-up quantitative outcomes were measured using self-administered questionnaires to record number of portions of fruit and vegetables (F&V) consumed per day, number of snacks consumed per day and participants' cooking confidence levels (highest score of 5). Qualitative evaluations were undertaken using structured telephone interviews.

Setting: MoF centre in Leeds Kirkgate Market, UK.

Subjects: Adults (n 795, 43 % male) on MoF courses from 2010 to 2014, 462 of whom completed questionnaires at all three time points.

Results: Six months after the course, self-reported F&V intake increased significantly by 1·5 (95 % CI 1·3, 1·6, P<0·001) portions per day to 4·1 (95 % CI 4·0, 4·3). The number of snacks reported decreased significantly over the same period by -0·9 (CI-1·0, -0·8, P<0·001) snacks per day. Cooking confidence increased over the same period by 1·7 (95 % CI 1·6, 1·9, P<0·001) to 4·4 (CI 4·4, 4·5). Age and disability, but not deprivation or ethnicity, were associated with changes in self-reported F&V intake and cooking confidence scores at 6 months; and gender with the latter outcome. Qualitative results supported quantitative findings and revealed specific beneficial gains in cooking skills/preparation, nutritional awareness, food purchasing and other social benefits.

Conclusions: MoF community-based cooking interventions can have significant positive effects on dietary behaviour, food choice and cooking confidence.

Keywords: Cooking confidence; Fruit and vegetables; Healthy eating.