Evaluation of a Collective Kitchens Program Using the Population Health Promotion

2004 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara J. Fano ◽  
Sheila M. Tyminski ◽  
Mary A. T. Flynn

To evaluate the impact of the Calgary Health Region Collective Kitchen Program on various Population Health Promotion Model health determinants, data were collected through mail-in questionnaires that examined the members’ (n=331) and coordinators’ (n=58) perspectives of the program. Seventy-nine members (24%) and 26 coordinators (45%) were included in the study. Three incomplete questionnaires (from prenatal program members) were discarded. Sixty-one percent of members who reported income level and family size (n=61) had incomes below the low-income cut-off. Fifty-eight members (73%) reported improvements in their lives because of the program. Sixty-four members (81%) perceived they learned to feed their families healthier foods. The members reported their fruit and vegetable consumption before and since joining a collective kitchen, and the proportion of those consuming at least five fruit and vegetable servings a day rose from 29% to 47%. The most common reasons for joining this program concerned social interactions and support. Over 90% of the coordinators perceived that they were competent to coordinate a kitchen. The results indicate that the collective kitchens program addresses several health determinants, and may increase members’ capacity to attain food security and to achieve improved nutritional health.

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela CB Trude ◽  
Pamela J Surkan ◽  
Elizabeth Anderson Steeves ◽  
Keshia Pollack Porter ◽  
Joel Gittelsohn

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the secondary impact of a multilevel, child-focused, obesity intervention on food-related behaviours (acquisition, preparation, fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption) on youths’ primary caregivers.DesignB’More Healthy Communities for Kids (BHCK) group-randomized controlled trial promoted access to healthy foods and food-related behaviours through wholesaler and small store strategies, peer mentor-led nutrition education aimed at youths, and social media and text messaging targeting their adult caregivers. Measures included caregivers’ (n516) self-reported household food acquisition frequency for FV, snacks and grocery items over 30 d, and usual FV consumption in a sub-sample of 226 caregivers via the NCI FV Screener. Hierarchical models assessed average treatment effects (ATE). Treatment-on-the-treated-effect (TTE) analyses evaluated correlation between behavioural change and exposure to BHCK. Exposure scores at post-assessment were based on self-reported viewing of BHCK materials and participating in activities.SettingThirty Baltimore City low-income neighbourhoods, USA.ParticipantsAdult caregivers of youths aged 9–15 years.ResultsOf caregivers, 90·89 % were female; mean age 39·31 (sd9·31) years. Baseline mean (sd) intake (servings/d) was 1·30 (1·69) fruits and 1·35 (1·05) vegetables. In ATE, no significant intervention effect was found on caregivers’ food-related behaviours. In TTE, each point increase in BHCK exposure score (range: 0–6·9) increased caregivers’ daily fruit consumption by 0·2 servings (0·24 (se0·11); 95 % CI 0·04, 0·47). Caregivers reporting greater social media exposure tripled their daily fruit intake (3·16 (se0·92); 95 % CI 1·33, 4·99) and increased their frequency of unhealthy food purchasingv. baseline.ConclusionsChild-focused community-based nutrition interventions may also benefit family members’ fruit intake. Child-focused interventions should involve adult caregivers and intervention effects on family members should be assessed. Future multilevel studies should consider using social media to improve reach and engage caregiver participants.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 739-753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew E. Springer ◽  
Steven H. Kelder ◽  
Nalini Ranjit ◽  
Heather Hochberg-Garrett ◽  
Sherman Crow ◽  
...  

Background:Marathon Kids® (MK) is a community and school-based program that promotes running, walking, and healthy eating in elementary school children. This study assessed the impact of MK on self-reported physical activity (PA), fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC), and related psycho-social factors in a sample of low-income, 4th- and 5th-grade students in Texas (n = 511). Intervention strategies included structured school running time, behavioral tracking, celebratory events, and rewards.Methods:A quasi-experimental design with 5 intervention (MK) and 3 comparison schools was employed. Students were assessed at baseline in the fall and at 3 time points during 2008 to 09. Mixed-effect regression methods were used to model pooled means, adjusting for baseline and sociodemographic variables.Results:MK students reported a higher mean time of running in past 7 days compared with non-MK students (mean = 4.38 vs. 3.83, respectively. P = .002), with a standardized effect size of 0.16. Mean times of FVC (P = .008), athletic identity self-concept (P < .001), PA outcome expectations (P = .007), and PA and FVC self-efficacy (P < .001 and P = .02, respectively) were also higher in MK students. Fewer differences in social support were observed.Conclusion:Findings provide further evidence on the importance of community and school partnerships for promoting PA and healthy eating in children.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Samantha B Meyer

Research attributes low fruit and vegetable consumption to problems of access, availability and affordability. We conducted, for the first time, a case study with three families designed and analysed using the sustainable Livelihoods Framework. The benefit of such an approach is that we moved away from identified barriers and towards identifying the capabilities and resources low-income families use to incorporate fruit and vegetables into their diets. Mitigating cost and access, we provided families with a box of fresh fruit and vegetables free of charge for up to 10 weeks and observed and recorded how/if the contents were used. Results identify the importance of social networking, organizational skills, knowledge of health benefits, and social structures. This paper demonstrates an effective methodology for understanding the capabilities of, rather than barriers to, low-income families increasing fruit and vegetable intake. Additionally, we provide a ‘how to’ and ‘lessons from the field’ for researchers interested in conducting research of this nature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (7) ◽  
pp. S18-S19
Author(s):  
Michele Polacsek ◽  
Alyssa Moran ◽  
Anne Thorndike ◽  
Rebecca Franckle ◽  
Rebecca Boulos ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Joreintje Dingena Mackenbach

Abstract I reflect upon the potential reasons why American low-income households do not spend an optimal proportion of their food budgets on fruits and vegetables, even though this would allow them to meet the recommended levels of fruit and vegetable consumption. Other priorities than health, automatic decision-making processes and access to healthy foods play a role, but solutions for the persistent socio-economic inequalities in diet should be sought in the wider food system which promotes cheap, mass-produced foods. I argue that, ultimately, healthy eating is not a matter of prioritisation by individual households but by policymakers.


2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Iacovou ◽  
Deanna C Pattieson ◽  
Helen Truby ◽  
Claire Palermo

AbstractObjectiveCommunity kitchens have been implemented by communities as a public health strategy to prevent food insecurity through reducing social isolation, improving food and cooking skills and empowering participants. The aim of the present paper was to investigate whether community kitchens can improve the social and nutritional health of participants and their families.DesignA systematic review of the literature was conducted including searches of seven databases with no date limitations.SettingCommunity kitchens internationally.SubjectsParticipants of community kitchens across the world.ResultsTen studies (eight qualitative studies, one mixed-method study and one cross-sectional study) were selected for inclusion. Evidence synthesis suggested that community kitchens may be an effective strategy to improve participants’ cooking skills, social interactions and nutritional intake. Community kitchens may also play a role in improving participants’ budgeting skills and address some concerns around food insecurity. Long-term solutions are required to address income-related food insecurity.ConclusionsCommunity kitchens may improve social interactions and nutritional intake of participants and their families. More rigorous research methods, for both qualitative and quantitative studies, are required to effectively assess the impact of community kitchens on social and nutritional health in order to confidently recommend them as a strategy in evidence-based public health practice.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Muth ◽  
Annabel B Losecaat Vermeer ◽  
Damiano Terenzi ◽  
Soyoung Q Park

A healthy diet and lifestyle may protect against adverse mental health outcomes, which is especially crucial during stressful times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This preregistered longitudinal online study explored whether diet and lifestyle (physical activity, sleep, and social interactions) could predict wellbeing and mood during a light lockdown in Germany. Participants (N = 117, 72 males; 28 9 years old) answered mental health and lifestyle questionnaires (social connections, sleep, activity) followed by submitting one week of food and mood-lifestyle diary (food intake, positive and negative mood, mental wellbeing, sleep quality, physical activity level, quantity and quality of social interactions) via a smartphone app. We used multivariate linear and mixed-effects models to predict mood and wellbeing by using dietary components and lifestyle factors. Inter-individual analyses revealed that sleep and social interaction significantly impacted mood and wellbeing. Interestingly, fruit and vegetable intake predicted wellbeing, even when controlling for all lifestyle factors. Fruit and vegetable intake also significantly predicted daily fluctuations in wellbeing within individuals next to sleep, physical activity, and social interactions. We observed gender differences in fruit and vegetable intake and anxiety levels. Our results emphasize the importance of diet contributing to individual wellbeing, even in the challenging times of a pandemic.


Author(s):  
Pourya Valizadeh ◽  
Barry M Popkin ◽  
Shu Wen Ng

Abstract Background US individuals, particularly from low-income subpopulations, have very poor diet quality. Policies encouraging shifts from consuming unhealthy food towards healthy food consumption are needed. Objectives We simulate the differential impacts of a national sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax and its combination with fruit and vegetable (FV) subsidies targeted to low-income households, on SSB and FV purchases of lower and higher SSB purchasers. Design We considered a one-cent-per-ounce SSB tax and two FV subsidy rates of 30% and 50% and used longitudinal grocery purchase data for 79,044 urban/semiurban US households from 2010-2014 Nielsen Homescan. We used demand elasticities for lower and higher SSB purchasers, estimated via longitudinal quantile regression, to simulate policies’ differential effects. Results Higher-SSB purchasing households made larger reductions (per adult equivalent) in SSB purchases than lower SSB purchasers due to the tax (e.g., 4.4 oz/day at SSB purchase percentile 90 vs. 0.5 oz/day at percentile 25; p &lt; 0.05). Our analyses by household income indicated low-income households would make larger reductions than higher-income households at all SSB purchase levels. Targeted FV subsidies induced similar, but nutritionally insignificant, increases in FV purchases of low-income households regardless of their SSB purchase levels. Subsidies, however, were effective in mitigating the tax burdens. All low-income households experienced a net financial gain when the tax was combined with a 50% FV subsidy, but net gains were smaller among higher SSB purchasers. Further, low-income households with children gained smaller net financial benefits than households without children and incurred net financial losses under a 30% subsidy rate. Conclusions SSB taxes can effectively reduce SSB consumption. FV subsidies would increase FV purchases, but nutritionally meaningful increases are limited due to low purchase levels pre-policy. Expanding taxes beyond SSBs, larger FV subsidies, or subsidies beyond FVs, particularly for low-income households with children, may be more effective.


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