The impact of a community-based food skills intervention on cooking confidence, food preparation methods and dietary choices - an exploratory trial

Objective: To assess the impact of a community-based practical food skills intervention (CookWell) in low-income communities on food intake, food preparation methods and cooking confidence. Design and Setting: A 7 d food diary was used to assess changes (deltas) in diet, while confidence in cooking and methods of food preparation were assessed using a questionnaire self-administered pre-(T1), immediately post-intervention 2 months later (T2), and 6 months (T3) later. Subjects: Eighty-four women and 9 men allocated to intervention (n= 51) and control (n=42) groups. Setting: Eight low-income urban communities in Scotland UK. Results: In total fifty subjects completed 7 d food diaries at both T1 and T2; 41 completed diaries at both T1 and T3. Consumption of fruit was very low (mean, two portions per week)but the change (delta T2-T1) in fruit intake in the intervention group was significantly different from that in the control group. Increases for vegetables and salad intake in the intervention group compared to the control group were not significantly different. Intakes of fish, and rice and pasta were unchanged. No significant differences were observed in the T3-T1 deltas. Between T1 and T3 there was a significant increase, from 67% to 90%, in the percentage of intervention subjects reporting confidence in following a recipe (P