Community-based nutrition literacy and cooking program for college students: design, implementation, evaluation

Thesis Abstract

The prevalence of poor dietary choices and low nutrition literacy among university students contributes to suboptimal health outcomes, reduced academic performance, and long-term risk of chronic diseases, underscoring the need for targeted, scalable interventions within campus environments. This study aims to design, implement, and evaluate a community-based nutrition literacy and cooking program for college students to improve nutrition knowledge, practical cooking skills, meal preparation confidence, and healthy eating behaviors. Specific objectives include (1) to develop a theory-driven curriculum grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and Self-Determination Theory; (2) to implement a 12-week program combining interactive nutrition literacy sessions with hands-on cooking workshops; (3) to evaluate changes in nutrition knowledge, cooking self-efficacy, cooking-related behavioral intentions, and dietary quality; (4) to assess feasibility, acceptability, and scalability of the program in a university setting; and (5) to identify facilitators and barriers to sustained healthy eating among participants. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, integrating a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design with qualitative process evaluation. The population comprised undergraduate students aged 18–25 enrolled at a large urban university. A sample of 240 students was recruited and randomly assigned to intervention (n=120) and wait-listed control (n=120) groups. Data collection used validated instruments a nutrition knowledge questionnaire (reliability ?=0.82), the Cooking Confidence and Self-Efficacy Scale (?=0.87), the Healthy Eating Behavior Index (?=0.85), and a 24-hour dietary recall administered at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Additional process data were captured through weekly attendance logs and participant satisfaction surveys. Qualitative data were gathered via focus groups (n=4, 6–8 participants each) and in-depth interviews with program facilitators (n=6), analyzed using thematic analysis to explore experiential factors, perceived barriers, and enablers of behavior change. Quantitative analyses employed descriptive statistics, mixed-design ANOVA to examine time-by-group interactions for primary outcomes (nutrition knowledge, cooking self-efficacy, and dietary quality), and multiple regression to identify predictors of change, controlling for baseline covariates. Mediation analysis tested whether cooking self-efficacy mediated the relationship between nutrition literacy and dietary quality. Qualitative data were analyzed iteratively to triangulate findings with quantitative results, enabling a comprehensive understanding of contextual influences and program mechanisms. Expected findings include significant improvements in nutrition knowledge (mean difference of 12–15 points on the knowledge scale), cooking self-efficacy (increase of 0.8–1.2 points on the standardized scale), and healthier dietary quality scores (increase of 3–5 points on the Healthy Eating Behavior Index) in the intervention group compared with controls at post-intervention and sustained at 3-month follow-up. The qualitative component is anticipated to reveal key themes around experiential learning, peer modeling, perceived relevance to campus life, time constraints, budget considerations, and the communal support network as critical enablers of sustained change. The study may also identify differential effects by gender, living arrangement (on-campus vs. off-campus), and prior cooking experience. The anticipated contribution to knowledge includes empirical evidence on the effectiveness and scalability of an integrated nutrition literacy and cooking program within a university setting, a validated framework explaining mechanisms of change grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and Self-Determination Theory, and pragmatic guidance for policymakers and university health promotion practitioners seeking to reduce nutrition-related risk factors among young adults. The study will inform best practices for curriculum design, facilitator training, and resource allocation to support sustainable health-promoting behaviors on campuses. Based on findings, recommendations include integrating such programs into mandatory first-year health education curricula, incorporating peer-led components to enhance social support, leveraging campus kitchens for ongoing cooking practice, and developing a scalable model adaptable to diverse university contexts.