Market to MyPlate: Investigating the Impact of a Nutrition and Hands-On Cooking Intervention

Market to MyPlate: A Cluster Randomized Trial Investigating the Impact of a Nutrition and Hands-On Cooking Intervention on Dietary, Cooking, and Shopping Behaviors

Recent peer-reviewed research indicates that low-income families are at higher risk for unhealthy dietary intake and associated poor health outcomes. Interventions that teach individuals from low-income families about cooking and healthy eating are warranted to improve overall dietary behaviors. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the Market to MyPlate Program on participants' reported cooking, shopping, and dietary behaviors using a cluster randomized trial design, where class cohorts are randomly assigned to education with produce allocations, education only, or control conditions. A secondary aim is to collect program feedback and better understand facilitators and barriers to farmer's market use and food waste reduction.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Fruit and Vegetable Consumption; Cooking Frequency
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Nutrition and hands on cooking classes for parents and their children; Behavioral: Produce allocations

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 120
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Urbana, Illinois, United States, 61801
      • University of Illinois

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Recruited from SNAP-Ed eligible site (site where the majority of participants are eligible for US food assistance programs)
• Must be 18 years or older, or parent of any age with child(ren) to participate in data collection (all ages including children could participate in intervention)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participated in an Extension nutrition education program in the last year

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Education with Produce Allocations; Participants will attend nutrition education and hands-on cooking classes with weekly produce allocations from a local farm.	Behavioral: Nutrition and hands on cooking classes for parents and their children; The adults and children will learn how to prepare the fresh produce during an age appropriate, evidence-based, family cooking school. The class will provide participants with a no-cost, low-risk incentive to try new vegetables, and will empower them to build healthier lives through nutrient-rich, locally sourced meals. Participants will also receive nutrition education and information on how they can integrate local produce into their food budget. One of the class sessions will focus solely on how to budget for healthy food, comparison shop, and make the most of their food dollars. Participants will learn how to use their SNAP benefits at local farmers markets.; Behavioral: Produce allocations; Participants will also receive a produce allocation from a local farm during each session of the class.
Experimental: Education only; Participants will attend nutrition education and hands-on cooking classes (with produce coupons provided after intervention).	Behavioral: Nutrition and hands on cooking classes for parents and their children; The adults and children will learn how to prepare the fresh produce during an age appropriate, evidence-based, family cooking school. The class will provide participants with a no-cost, low-risk incentive to try new vegetables, and will empower them to build healthier lives through nutrient-rich, locally sourced meals. Participants will also receive nutrition education and information on how they can integrate local produce into their food budget. One of the class sessions will focus solely on how to budget for healthy food, comparison shop, and make the most of their food dollars. Participants will learn how to use their SNAP benefits at local farmers markets.
No Intervention: Control group; Participants will receive a delayed intervention once the study period is over.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Self-reported vegetable consumption	Survey asks participants to self-report how frequently they consume fruits and vegetables.	7 weeks
self-reported shopping behaviors	Survey asks participants to self-report how frequently they compare food prices, make shopping lists, and plan meals before grocery shopping.	7 weeks
self-reported cooking behaviors	Survey asks participants to self-report how frequently they cook dinner at home.	7 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 11, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 1, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): November 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 19, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 21, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): January 27, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 27, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 21, 2020
• Last Verified: December 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 17806 (OTHER: University of Western Ontario)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No