Abstract
Objectives
Food insecurity is prevalent on college campuses. Many campuses have food assistance programs (e.g., food pantries, cooking classes, government support) to provide resources and education but research has identified that knowledge related healthy food selection, meal planning, food budgeting, and safe food preparation skills are suboptimal. The objective of this pilot study was to determine the most effective nutrition education model to increase self-efficacy, skill, knowledge, and food choice awareness in the food insecure college student.
Methods
Eligible university students (N = 54) were recruited and randomized to a three-arm four-week intervention. All participants received weekly food pantry items and pilot nutrition education curriculum through different application models; food demonstration and handout (FD, n = 20), cooking class and handout (CC, n = 14), or handout only (H, n = 20). The weekly one-hour CC was hands-on with tasting at the end. The weekly 20-minute FD was observation only with tasting at the end. Participants completed a validated pre-post survey.
Results
Using MANOVA, statistically significant (P < 0.05) pre-post changes were identified in all scores (food selection planning, food preparation, food safety storage). The overall food skills score (OFSS), a combined measure, indicated a statistically significant interaction effect between study arms on the combined dependent variable, F(2, 51) = 5.37, P = 0.008, Wilks’ Λ = 0.826, partial n2 = 0.174. A follow-up univariate two-way analysis using Tukey pairwise comparisons identified non-significant pre-post mean differences for OFSS scores between CC (+44.29), FD (+16.05), and H (+20.30).
Conclusions
Nutrition education through a CC, FD, and H model improves knowledge, skill, and self-efficacy in food insecure students. CC have the largest pre-post improvements but tended to have more attrition. Universities with food pantries should include nutrition education ideally with a hands-on or observation component including tasting of new recipes and foods mirroring food pantry offerings. Campuses can use concise 4-week curriculum to maximize learning and self-efficacy while considering resources (staff, space, materials).
Funding Sources
California State University Small-Scale Faculty Research Grants 2019-2020 15 K.
Food Pantry Focus Groups to Identify Nutrition Education Needs
