Evaluating a Culinary Curriculum Program for Residents of Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT) Recovery Houses

Evaluation of a Culinary Curriculum Program for Persons Living in Recovery Residences for Opioid Use on Medication Assisted Therapy in Texas

The purpose of the study is to assess a culinary curriculum in persons with substance use disorder who are receiving medication assisted therapy and who are in recovery residences in Texas. The curriculum has the goal of increasing nutritional knowledge and confidence in cooking skills.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Cooking Skills
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Culinary curriculum

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Michael Wilkerson, PhD; Phone Number: (713) 500-9974; Email: Johnny.M.Wilkerson@uth.tmc.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Estevan R Herrera, BSMT; Phone Number: (713) 500-9006; Email: Estevan.R.Herrera@uth.tmc.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
      • Recruiting
      • The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
      • Contact: Michael Wilkerson, PhD; Phone Number: 713-500-9974; Email: Johnny.M.Wilkerson@uth.tmc.edu
      • Contact: Estevan Herrera, BSMT; Phone Number: (713) 500-9006; Email: Estevan.R.Herrera@uth.tmc.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Persons with a substance use disorder in Texas

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable to give consent
• Does not speak English or Spanish

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Culinary curriculum

Behavioral: Culinary curriculum; The curriculum has the goal of increasing nutritional knowledge and confidence in cooking skills, and it will introduce the fundamentals of cooking techniques in 5 weekly sessions. The curriculum includes introductions to cooking equipment and safety in the kitchen (basic knife skills), carbohydrate dishes, seasonal vegetables and making simple salad dressing and salads, cooking techniques (grilling, baking, and pan-frying), cooking with varying proteins, the importance of timing and organization in the kitchen, bite-size desserts, the importance of small portions, and different cultural cuisines. Additionally, the curriculum will help participants establish goals related to incorporating new ingredients.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Dietary intake as assessed by an abbreviated version of the Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ) developed by the Nutrition Incentive Hub	The Abbreviated Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ) asks how often in the past month different foods were eaten, for each of 9 different types of foods. For each of the 9 types of foods, data are reported categorically as follows: Never; 1 time per month; 2-3 times per month; 1 time per week ; 2 times per week; 3-4 times per week; 5-6 times per week; 1 time per day; 2 -3 times per day; 4-5 times per day; or 6 or more times per day.	baseline, 5 weeks
Motivation to eat healthy foods as assessed by the Regulation of Eating Behavior Scale (REBS) Adapted	Total score on the Regulation of Eating Behavior Scale (REBS) Adapted ranges from 12 to 84, with a higher score indicating greater motivation to eat healthy foods.	baseline, 5 weeks
Cooking skill self-efficacy scale as assessed by the Culinary Efficacy Scale	Total score on the Culinary Efficacy Scale ranges from 24 to 120, with a higher score indicating greater confidence in performing cooking skills.	baseline, 5 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Body Mass Index (BMI) as assessed by a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) device	Body mass index will be measured using a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) device designed for use with children and adults.	baseline, 5 weeks
Percent Body Fat (PBF) as assessed by a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) device	Percent Body Fat (PBF) will be measured using a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) device designed for use with children and adults.	baseline, 5 weeks
Skin Carotenoid Level as assessed by the Veggie Meter	Skin Carotenoid Level will be assessed using the Veggie Meter®, which utilizes spectroscopy to quantify the concentration of carotenoids present in the skin. Carotenoids are not synthesized internally and are only obtainable through food; therefore, skin carotenoid levels can be used to detect an increase or decrease in fruit and vegetable intake over time. The VeggieMeter reports a score ranging from 0 to 800, with a higher score indicating higher skin carotenoid stores.	baseline, 5 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
• Collaborators: Texas Health and Human Services Commission
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Michael Wilkerson, PhD, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Condrasky MD, Williams JE, Catalano PM, Griffin SF. Development of psychosocial scales for evaluating the impact of a culinary nutrition education program on cooking and healthful eating. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2011 Nov-Dec;43(6):511-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2010.09.013. Epub 2011 Aug 15.
• Karelis AD, Chamberland G, Aubertin-Leheudre M, Duval C; Ecological mobility in Aging and Parkinson (EMAP) group. Validation of a portable bioelectrical impedance analyzer for the assessment of body composition. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2013 Jan;38(1):27-32. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2012-0129. Epub 2013 Jan 1.
• Di Noia J, Gellermann W. Use of the Spectroscopy-Based Veggie Meter(R) to Objectively Assess Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Low-Income Adults. Nutrients. 2021 Jun 30;13(7):2270. doi: 10.3390/nu13072270.
• Pelletier, LG, Dion, SC, Slovinec-D'Angelo, M et al. Why Do You Regulate What You Eat? Relationships Between Forms of Regulation, Eating Behaviors, Sustained Dietary Behavior Change, and Psychological Adjustment. Motivation and Emotion. 2004; 28: 245-277.
• May K, Jilcott Pitts S, Stage VC, Kelley CJ, Burkholder S, Fang X, Zeng A, Lazorick S. Use of the Veggie Meter(R) as a tool to objectively approximate fruit and vegetable intake among youth for evaluation of preschool and school-based interventions. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2020 Dec;33(6):869-875. doi: 10.1111/jhn.12755. Epub 2020 Apr 12.

Helpful Links

• Nutrition Incentive Hub. (2023). Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ). Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ) Fruit and Vegetable Guide

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 11, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 18, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 18, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): November 26, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 26, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 18, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: HSC-SPH-18-0715

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