Self-efficacy in cooking and consuming fruits and vegetables among Brazilian university students: the relationship with sociodemographic characteristics

Abstract

PurposeSelf-efficacy in cooking and consuming fruits and vegetables is one of the dimensions that compose cooking skills. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the self-efficacy of Brazilian university students in cooking and consuming fruits and vegetables and examine the relationship of self-efficacy with sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through an online questionnaire, which was culturally adapted and validated for the studied population. Questions about self-efficacy for using basic cooking techniques (SECT), self-efficacy for using fruits, vegetables, and seasonings (SEFVS) and produce consumption self-efficacy (SEPC) were rated on a five-point Likert scale. Differences in median self-efficacy score between groups were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test or the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by the Mann–Whitney U test.Findings766 subjects participated in the study. The mean age was 21 ± 5.6 years, most respondents were female (60%), reported to know how to cook (72%), and lived with parents and/or grandparents (45%). The median SECT and SEFVS scores were 3.55, and the median SEPC score was 3.33. Female students, individuals aged more than 25 years, and students who did not live with their parents or grandparents had higher (p < 0.005) self-efficacy scores. Low SECT, SEFVS and SEPC scores were associated with having less than one hour a day to cook (p = 0.023, 0.01, and 0.002, respectively) and not knowing how to cook (p < 0.001). There was no relationship of median self-efficacy scores with source of knowledge about cooking skills or parental education.Originality/valueThe results of this study can guide interventions and public policies aimed at health promotion in the university setting.

Self-efficacy, habit strength, health locus of control and response to the personalised nutrition Food4Me intervention study

“…This is consistent with previous qualitative research which emphasised the importance of motivational factors to personalised nutrition (Stewart- Knox et al, 2013;Rankin et al, 2016) and survey research indicating associations between self-efficacy and attitudes and intention to adopt personalised nutrition (Poínhos et al, 2014). This finding is also consistent with research linking self-efficacy to healthy eating (de Borba et al, 2021;Newby et al, 2020;Lo et al, 2019;Churchill et al, 2019;Naughton et al, 2015;Ferranti et al, 2014;Williams et al, 2012;Anderson et al, 2000). That NS-E did not differ between the control and intervention group post-intervention implies it did not impact upon response to the trial and is contrary to previous studies that have observed increased intake of vegetables (Bouwman et al, 2020), increased fruit and vegetable intake (Smith et al, 2020) and reduced fast food consumption (Smith et al, 2020) in response to enhanced self-efficacy.…”

“…Greater self-efficacy has been linked to more frequent fruit and vegetable intake (Smith et al , 2020; Lo et al , 2019; Welch and Ellis, 2018; Kushida et al , 2017; Brug et al , 2006), reduced fast food intake (Smith et al , 2020) and less snacking (Churchill et al , 2019). Conversely, lower self-efficacy has been associated with less healthy food choices (Williams et al , 2012; de Bruijn and van der Putte, 2009) and low perceived ability to cook healthy food (de Borba et al , 2021). Evidence from recent RCT (Bouwman et al , 2020) has indicated that higher self-efficacy can improve vegetable intake and adherence to healthy eating plans.…”

Meal preparation and consumption before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: The relationship with cooking skills of Brazilian university students

“…Processes involved in individual meal preparation (planning, transportation, shopping, preparing, and cleanup) were described as being an ‘overwhelming responsibility’ ( Murray et al, 2016 ) aside from other barriers to cook among university students, leading them to have low cooking skills and low meal preparation frequency ( Bernardo et al, 2017 ; de Borba et al, 2021 ; Murray et al, 2016 ; Sprake et al, 2018 ; Wilson et al, 2017 ), low consumption of fruits and vegetables, and high intake of fast foods, snacks, deep-fried foods, refined grains, sweets, carbonated, and other sugar-sweetened beverages ( Bernardo et al, 2017 ).…”

Mediterranean Diet, Psychological Adjustment and Health Perception in University Students: The Mediating Effect of Healthy and Unhealthy Food Groups

“…Some of the indicators that have been associated with this growing trend of abandoning MedDiet for a less healthy diet more typical of Western societies are: being male, living outside the family home, peer group pressure (which influences not only diet but also the adoption of other lifestyle behaviors such as substance use), having a low socioeconomic status, and engaging in low levels of physical activity [13][14][15]. Additionally, other factors have been revealed as barriers in the university population such as the prices food and equipment, culinary knowledge and the cooking skill, among others [16,17].…”