Nutrition and cooking skills program with older adults with chronic illness living in subsidized housing
Faculty Advisor Name
Rachelle Dorne
Department
Department of Health Professions
Description
The purpose of this research project is to understand the effects of a hands-on cooking program on cooking confidence and skills among individuals over the age of 55 living in subsidized housing. According to the National Center for Health in Public Housing (2016), 6.7 million people live in subsidized housing in the United States, with between 10 and 16% of those residents over 62 years of age. These low and very low income residents were found to have reduced activity, poor nutrition, and a high prevalence of chronic conditions and obesity.
Nutrition factors in this population include the higher cost of healthy, fresh food products and the potential for fresh food waste, which may lead to residents’ choices for unhealthy, cheaper, nonperishable food purchases (Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), 2019). Low-income communities have greater availability of fast-food restaurants, which tend to sell high calorie meals that are low in nutrients and therefore, may lead to weight gain (FRAC, 2019). Vehicle access also determines how often people can shop and how much they can transport at one time, which may result in cycling patterns of overeating (FRAC, 2019). According to Hutchinson, Watt, Strachan, and Cade (2016), people of the lowest socio-economic status are also least likely to be confident in and have skills for preparing healthy meals. Lack of cooking skills was found to correlate with poor diet and the increased consumption of highly processed and reduced nutritional quality food (Hutchinson, Watt, Strachan, & Cade, 2016).
This research project compared a 6-week small group training program, adapted from The Learning Kitchen--Hunger Free Vermont, an evidence-based nutrition education and cooking program specifically developed for low-income populations, with a control group of a social meal activity without any meal preparation intervention. The mixed-method, pre-test and post-test experimental design included rating of observed meal preparation performance using an IADL task of the Home Version of the Performance Assessment of Self-care Skills (PASS), a Likert survey (Cooking and Food Provisioning Scale). The researchers added qualitative questions to the survey to better understand perspectives of program participants about the barriers to healthy eating and meal preparation routines, including context, environment, and chronic health conditions.
The Model of Human Occupation (Kielhofner & Burke, 1980) was used as a theoretical framework with the focus on developing participants’ skills and confidence so that they would be more motivated to develop and maintain patterns of healthy eating. Consistent with this model, our aim was to incorporate the participants’ natural environment, i.e., objects, people, and events within their community, to form sustainable healthy eating and meal preparation routines and increase occupational performance in this IADL. Situating this intervention within their natural environment also facilitated better understanding of the supports and barriers to meal preparation within this community.
Nutrition and cooking skills program with older adults with chronic illness living in subsidized housing
The purpose of this research project is to understand the effects of a hands-on cooking program on cooking confidence and skills among individuals over the age of 55 living in subsidized housing. According to the National Center for Health in Public Housing (2016), 6.7 million people live in subsidized housing in the United States, with between 10 and 16% of those residents over 62 years of age. These low and very low income residents were found to have reduced activity, poor nutrition, and a high prevalence of chronic conditions and obesity.
Nutrition factors in this population include the higher cost of healthy, fresh food products and the potential for fresh food waste, which may lead to residents’ choices for unhealthy, cheaper, nonperishable food purchases (Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), 2019). Low-income communities have greater availability of fast-food restaurants, which tend to sell high calorie meals that are low in nutrients and therefore, may lead to weight gain (FRAC, 2019). Vehicle access also determines how often people can shop and how much they can transport at one time, which may result in cycling patterns of overeating (FRAC, 2019). According to Hutchinson, Watt, Strachan, and Cade (2016), people of the lowest socio-economic status are also least likely to be confident in and have skills for preparing healthy meals. Lack of cooking skills was found to correlate with poor diet and the increased consumption of highly processed and reduced nutritional quality food (Hutchinson, Watt, Strachan, & Cade, 2016).
This research project compared a 6-week small group training program, adapted from The Learning Kitchen--Hunger Free Vermont, an evidence-based nutrition education and cooking program specifically developed for low-income populations, with a control group of a social meal activity without any meal preparation intervention. The mixed-method, pre-test and post-test experimental design included rating of observed meal preparation performance using an IADL task of the Home Version of the Performance Assessment of Self-care Skills (PASS), a Likert survey (Cooking and Food Provisioning Scale). The researchers added qualitative questions to the survey to better understand perspectives of program participants about the barriers to healthy eating and meal preparation routines, including context, environment, and chronic health conditions.
The Model of Human Occupation (Kielhofner & Burke, 1980) was used as a theoretical framework with the focus on developing participants’ skills and confidence so that they would be more motivated to develop and maintain patterns of healthy eating. Consistent with this model, our aim was to incorporate the participants’ natural environment, i.e., objects, people, and events within their community, to form sustainable healthy eating and meal preparation routines and increase occupational performance in this IADL. Situating this intervention within their natural environment also facilitated better understanding of the supports and barriers to meal preparation within this community.
