Beyond Ramen: Investigating Methods to Improve Food Agency among College Students

Abstract

Many college students struggle to cook frequently, which has implications for their diet quality and health. Students’ ability to plan, procure, and prepare food (food agency) may be an important target for shifting the college student diet away from instant and inexpensive staples like packaged ramen. The randomized intervention study included two sequential cooking interventions: (1) six weeks of cooking classes based in food agency pedagogy held once per week, and (2) six weekly home delivered meal kits (3 meals per kit) to improve food agency, diet quality, and at home cooking frequency of college students. Based on availability and subsequent randomization, participants were assigned to one of four conditions that included active cooking classes, meal kit provision, or no intervention. Participants who took part in the cooking intervention had significant improvement in food agency immediately following the intervention period. Participants who did not participate in cooking classes and only received meal kits experienced significant, though less pronounced, improvement in food agency scores following the meal kit provision. Neither intervention improved diet quality or routinely improved cooking frequency. Active cooking classes may improve food agency of college students, though further research is needed to determine how this may translate into improved diet quality and increased cooking frequency.

Impact of a Food Skills Course with a Teaching Kitchen on Dietary and Cooking Self-Efficacy and Behaviors among College Students

“…While the current literature, including the results presented here, provides evidence that cooking interventions are effective in increasing confidence and skills (i.e., self-efficacy) around healthy meal preparation and consumption, associated changes in behavior have not been consistently demonstrated [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. In a randomized and controlled trial evaluating the impact of a 6-week cooking skills intervention among university students in Brazil, improvements in self-efficacy, which were maintained at 6 months following the intervention, did not translate into more frequent home cooking postintervention or at follow up [ 18 ].…”

“…Two systematic reviews, together covering studies through 2016, found that adults’ confidence and knowledge around healthy eating often increased after participation in cooking and nutrition interventions [ 16 , 17 ]. Since then, a small number of studies have evaluated the impact of cooking interventions including a teaching kitchen component in college students [ 12 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. These studies observed increases in self-efficacy in cooking and fruit and vegetable consumption [ 12 , 18 ], nutrition or cooking knowledge [ 18 , 19 ], or Cooking and Food Provisioning Action Scale (CAFPAS) scores [ 20 ] among participants.…”

Dietary Behaviors among New Users of Meal-Kit Services during the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Nonetheless, as few studies [ 39 , 40 ] have been published in the peer-reviewed literature assessing the associations between meal-kit use and nutritional outcomes, this analysis presents foundational estimates that future research can build on. Data from this analysis come from a nationally representative survey collected using online panels which have been shown to be a valid method for participant recruitment [ 21 ].…”

Digital Food Retail: Public Health Opportunities

“…The authors found that although meal kits improved food agency, cooking classes designed to improve food agency were more effective. Additionally, meal kits did not have any significant effects on cooking frequency or diet quality [84]. Though meal kits are typically marketed towards higher-income households, there is evidence that meal kit interventions would be acceptable and highly utilized among families with low incomes.…”