Advanced Cooking Education Pilot Study

Advanced Cooking Education (ACE) 4-H After School Club Pilot Study

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of an in-person multi-component Advanced Cooking Education (ACE) 4-H after school program. The ACE Program consists of mindfulness, nutrition education, cooking labs, and professional development activities.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Adolescent Behavior; Nutrition, Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: ACE intervention

Detailed Description

The ACE program is conducted with 7th and 8th grade students attending New York City (NYC) Title I middle schools. Participants attend weekly sessions (2hour) after school to participate in mindfulness, nutrition lessons, and professional development activities. On another day in the week, students participate in cooking labs at their own time at their homes. The investigators hypothesize that after the program, adolescents' diet quality, cooking-related skills, stress levels will be improved compared to prior of the program.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 22
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • Ithaca, New York, United States, 14853
      • Cornell University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 7th and 8th grade students attending Title I funded schools in New York City
• Caregivers of the 7th and 8th grade students attending Title I funded schools in New York City

Exclusion Criteria:

• Do not speak/understand English
• Those who have previously participated in the Virtual ACE program (Feasibility Study)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control phase; After the first data collection session, participants spend 12 weeks and enter a "control phase" where they receive no intervention. At the end of the 12 weeks, participants will attend another data collection session.
Experimental: ACE intervention; The ACE Program is a culturally inclusive, 4-H after school club where youth meet once a week for 12 weeks after school in person. They also receive groceries to make a meal 1 day a week.	Behavioral: ACE intervention; Participants attend the ACE Program for 12 weeks after school. On one assigned day of the week, participants attend ACE in person after school. The session begins with mindfulness exercises (15 minutes), professional development session (50 minutes), nutrition education lesson (20 minutes), and reflection period to talk about their experience in cooking lessons (25 minutes). On any day during the week, the students will make a dish using groceries they received (1 hour).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference in change in diet quality between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	Healthy Index Eating scores are calculated from three 24-hour diet records, range from 0-100. Higher score reflects higher alignment between one's diet and recommendations from Dietary Guidelines for Americans	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference in change in body mass index between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	Height will be measured using stadiometer to nearest decimal point in cm. Weight is measured using scale to nearest decimal in kg. Body mass index calculated using kg/m^2.	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks
Difference in change in body fat percentage between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	Measured using a scale to nearest decimal	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks
Difference in change in waist circumference between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	Measured using a waist circumference tape to the nearest decimal in cm	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks
Difference in change in dermal carotenoids level between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	Measured using the Veggie Meter device, range from 0-800. Higher score acts as proxy for increased fruits and vegetables consumption	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks
Difference in change in culinary skills between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	iCook program youth culinary skill survey with 5-point likert scale questions with higher scores indicate higher skill level (better outcome). Min=7, Max=35	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks
Difference in change in culinary self-efficacy between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	iCook program youth culinary self-efficacy survey with 5-point likert scale questions with higher scores indicate higher skill level (better outcome). Min=6, Max=30	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks
Difference in change in culinary attitudes between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	Cooking with kids survey with 5-point likert scale questions with higher scores indicate more positive attitude (better outcome). Min=6, Max=30	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks
Difference in change in perceived stress between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	Used the Cohen perceived stress scale. Higher scores mean increased stress (worse outcome). Min=0, Max=40	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks
Difference in change in food neophobia between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	FNTT10 survey with 5-point likert scale questions, higher scores mean less neophobia (better outcome). Min=10, Max=50.	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks
Difference in change in sense of purpose between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	Used the Clarement Purpose Scale survey questions, higher scores mean higher sense of purpose (better outcome). Min=12, Max=60	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks
Difference in change in social and emotional competency between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	Used the SEC survey by CASEL, higher scores mean higher competence (better outcome). Min=17, Max= 68	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks
Difference in change in family mealtime beliefs between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	Calculated based on the Fulkerson family mealtime survey. A total of 9 questions that are scored independently. Each: Min=1, Max=4. Higher scores indicate better family mealtime practices (better outcome).	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks
Difference in change in household food security between intervention phase (12-24wk) and control phase (0wk-12wk)	Short form food security survey module by the USDA. Higher scores indicate lower food security status. Min=0, Max=6	0 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, 48 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Cornell University
• Collaborators: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Tashara M Leak, PhD RD, Cornell University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 28, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 10, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): November 29, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 22, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 22, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): July 3, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 12, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 8, 2024
• Last Verified: August 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Adolescents; Nutrition intervention; Culinary programs
• Other Study ID Numbers: 0145840

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

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