Examining Cooking as a Health Behavior (iChef)

University of Vermont

Status: Completed

Conditions: Obesity

Treatments: Behavioral: Active Intervention - Cooking; Behavioral: Demonstrations - Cooking

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03783962

CHRBSS 19-0131

Details and patient eligibility

About

The proposed pilot study will examine cooking as an intervention target for weight control in overweight adults. The study will also examine whether interventions designed to promote cooking at home can increase participants' sense of food agency, and overcome common barriers to cooking at home such as time scarcity and budget constrictions. The study will utilize a cooking pedagogy designed to not just teach participants the basics of cooking different foods, but how to be efficient, mindful cooks. If cooking class participation positively impacts diet and health outcomes, it will bolster the case for promoting cooking at home as a health behavior for multiple populations.

Full description

A two arm randomized control trial will examine whether the addition of an active cooking lesson versus a passive observed lesson to a behavioral weight loss intervention results in significantly greater weight loss. Additionally, the study will examine whether interventions designed to promote cooking at home can increase participants' sense of food agency, and overcome common barriers to cooking at home such as time scarcity and budget constrictions.

Overweight and obese but otherwise healthy participants (n=64) will be recruited. Recruitment and study initiation will occur in two waves. Wave 1 aims to recruit 32 individuals who will then be randomized to 1) a 24 week, 24 session group behavioral weight loss intervention with 12 bi-weekly cooking lessons; or, 2) the same 24 week, 24 session group behavioral weight loss intervention with 12 bi-weekly cooking demonstrations. Both groups get the same intervention and the same counselor delivered intervention elements; the presence of active cooking lessons vs. passive observed cooking demonstrations is the only difference between conditions. Assessments will be conducted at 0, 3 and 6 months. Wave 2 (n=32) will follow the same process as Wave 1 approximately two months after Wave 1 is initiated.

Enrollment: 56 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• only individuals who are cooking (from scratch) no more than 3 meals at home per week will be eligible.
• must have a computer or smart device with internet access (at home or work) in order to track their diet and exercise behaviors,
• potential participants will be required to demonstrate some ability to comply with study intervention procedures to be eligible (specifically, they must complete an online dietary self-monitoring diary for 3 days)
• must be at least 18 years old and have a BMI between 25-50 kg/m2
• must agree to be randomized to either study arm and available for both scheduled meeting times in person on the University of Vermont campus

Exclusion criteria

• pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next 6 months or lactating
• physical conditions that would preclude exercise
• medication affecting weight loss
• currently enrolled in another weight loss program
• currently cooking more than 3 meals from scratch at home per week

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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56 participants in 2 patient groups

Active Intervention - Cooking

Experimental group

Description:

Twelve cooking classes will be run every other week after the in-person weight loss meetings. These lessons will be patterned after Dr. Amy Trubek's cooking pedagogy and will be tailored for individuals specifically interested in weight loss. Classes will begin with a brief lecture on the day's topic, followed by a laboratory session. Participants work in teams of two in the Nutrition and Food Sciences (NFS) foods lab to actively practice skills and cook a meal. Subjects will receive recipes and information sheets that cover pantry supplies, grocery lists, knife skills and cooking equipment. Classes will be taught by a chef trained in the pedagogy by Dr. Trubek and participants will have the opportunity to sample the food they prepared at the end of class.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Active Intervention - Cooking

Demonstrations - Cooking

Active Comparator group

Description:

The demonstration condition will serve as an "attention only" control. Previous research suggests that demonstrations of cooking have little to no impact on cooking behavior, therefore, cooking demonstrations can be used to "even out" the time and attention devoted to the active cooking participants without introducing bias into the study design. Subjects in the demonstration condition will also begin with a brief lecture on the day's lesson followed by a cooking demonstration that covers the same topics as the active intervention group. All participants will receive the same printed information and also have an opportunity to sample the prepared food at the end of class. The demonstrations will be led by the same chef as the active intervention group.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Demonstrations - Cooking