Super Chef Program for Healthy Eating

Overseen By Chishinga Callender, MS

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Baylor College of Medicine

Disqualifiers: Seizure disorder, Psychiatric conditions, Cancer, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

Duration: 6 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if the online cooking program "Super Chef: Family Fun in the Kitchen!" can help families adopt healthier eating habits inspired by the Mediterranean diet, known for reducing heart disease risk factors. The program encourages cooking as a fun, shared activity for parents and kids, promoting better food choices at home. It targets families in Texas with children aged 10-12 who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals and have reliable internet access. As an unphased trial, this study offers families a unique opportunity to participate in innovative research that could enhance their health and well-being.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications, but if you are currently being treated with medications that impact dietary intake, you may not be eligible to participate.

What prior data suggests that the Super Chef: Family Fun in the Kitchen! program is safe?

Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet, which this program promotes, can lower the risk of heart disease, benefiting heart health. The Super Chef program emphasizes teaching cooking skills and involving the whole family, offering a fun way to improve eating habits.

Regarding safety, the Super Chef program does not involve medications or medical treatments. It focuses solely on dietary and cooking changes, which are generally safe for most people. Since the program centers on learning and practicing healthier eating, no negative effects are known.

In summary, the Super Chef program provides a safe and enjoyable way to foster healthier eating habits through family cooking activities. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Super Chef Program for Healthy Eating because it takes a fun, family-centered approach to promoting healthier eating habits. Unlike traditional dietary programs that often rely on rigid meal plans or individual-focused strategies, this program is designed to engage both parents and children together in the kitchen. By combining online learning with hands-on cooking sessions at home, it encourages families to learn and practice new skills collaboratively. This interactive method not only aims to improve dietary habits but also strengthens family bonds, making the journey to healthier eating more enjoyable and sustainable.

What evidence suggests that the Super Chef program could be effective for improving child nutrition?

Research shows that healthy eating habits, such as the Mediterranean Diet, can lower the risk of heart disease, a leading cause of death in the US. Studies have found that following this diet improves heart health. The Super Chef program in this trial encourages the Mediterranean way of eating and aims to make healthy meals fun for families. Participants in the Super Chef program may experience similar benefits, as those in similar programs were much more likely to eat healthier. Thus, the Super Chef program could help families eat better and improve their overall health. ^{1 2 3 4 6}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Deborah Thompson, PhD

Principal Investigator

USDA/ARS CNRC, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for families with a child aged 10-12 and a parent or caregiver. They must qualify for free or reduced price school meals, have reliable internet access, live in Texas, and be fluent in English.

Inclusion Criteria

I am a child aged 10-12 with a parent or caregiver.

Family qualifies for free or reduced price meals at school

Reliable internet access

Exclusion Criteria

I have significant hearing or vision loss.

Lack of binocular vision

Claustrophobia

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Families randomized to the intervention group will receive the 4-session prototype over a period of up to 6 weeks.

6 weeks

4 sessions (online)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Super Chef: Family Fun in the Kitchen!

Trial Overview The 'Super Chef: Family Fun in the Kitchen!' program is being tested to see if it can help low-income families eat healthier by promoting the Mediterranean dietary pattern through online cooking sessions.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Treatment Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

After completing baseline data collection, families randomized to the intervention group will receive the 4-session prototype over a period of up to 6 weeks. This will allow for illness, family vacations, school holidays, and scheduling conflicts. After completing session 4, the family will proceed to post assessment. The investigators have successfully used this approach in previous interventions. It is anticipated each session will take \~1.5 hrs to complete (online phase - \~30 minutes; home phase - \~1 hr). The parent and child will each be assigned a password with which to login to the online phase. Parents and children will be asked to keep their password private. Each will need to login at the same time to view each new online session. The session can be viewed by parent or child separately or together after the initial viewing.

Group II: Wait-list control Active Control 1 Intervention

Families randomized to this group will receive the intervention after the dyad completes both baseline and post intervention data collection.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Baylor College of Medicine

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,044

Recruited

6,031,000+

University of Pittsburgh

Collaborator

Trials

1,820

Recruited

16,360,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Medical trainees who participated in the Cooking for Health Optimization with Patients (CHOP) program were 82% more likely to adopt a Mediterranean diet compared to those who received traditional nutrition education, indicating the program's effectiveness in promoting healthier eating habits.

CHOP participants also showed significantly improved competencies in lifestyle medicine counseling, suggesting that hands-on cooking education not only enhances dietary intake but also prepares future healthcare providers to incorporate nutrition into patient care.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Multisite Culinary Medicine Curriculum Is Associated With Cardioprotective Dietary Patterns and Lifestyle Medicine Competencies Among Medical Trainees. Razavi, AC., Monlezun, DJ., Sapin, A., et al.[2021]

A 12-week nutritional intervention promoting the Mediterranean diet effectively modified food habits in 73 healthy women, demonstrating its efficacy in dietary change.

Women without children and those who planned food purchases based on discounts showed a significantly better response to the dietary advice, indicating that family status and shopping habits can influence the success of nutritional interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Factors influencing the dietary response to a nutritional intervention promoting the Mediterranean food pattern in healthy women from the Quebec City metropolitan area. Goulet, J., Lamarche, B., Lemieux, S.[2007]

A 6-week culinary course led by medical students significantly improved participants' adherence to the Mediterranean diet, with a notable increase in overall diet scores among 1381 participants.

Participants showed increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and olive oil, while also developing a more positive attitude towards cooking, indicating that hands-on culinary education can effectively promote healthier eating habits.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Multisite Medical Student-Led Community Culinary Medicine Classes Improve Patients' Diets: Machine Learning-Augmented Propensity Score-Adjusted Fixed Effects Cohort Analysis of 1381 Subjects. Stauber, Z., Razavi, AC., Sarris, L., et al.[2022]

In a study of 1447 participants across the U.S., those in the Stroke Belt (SB) identified greater barriers to adhering to the Mediterranean diet, such as convenience and sensory factors, compared to participants from other regions.

Weight loss was viewed as a significant benefit of the Mediterranean diet in the SB, while factors like price and familiarity were less influential, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to promote MedDiet adherence in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Mediterranean Diet in the Stroke Belt: A Cross-Sectional Study on Adherence and Perceived Knowledge, Barriers, and Benefits. Knight, CJ., Jackson, O., Rahman, I., et al.[2020]

The Healthy Teaching Kitchen (HTK) program, implemented by the Veterans Health Administration, has been found to be acceptable and feasible for veterans, providing interactive nutrition and culinary education.

Participants in the HTK program reported increased self-efficacy for making dietary changes, suggesting that the program empowers veterans to improve their dietary and cooking habits, potentially leading to better health outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Healthy Teaching Kitchen Programs: Experiential Nutrition Education Across Veterans Health Administration, 2018. Black, M., LaCroix, R., Hoerster, K., et al.[2020]

Culinary medicine programs, which include teaching kitchens and gardens, have shown promising preliminary outcomes in improving health metrics like weight and cardiometabolic risk factors in pediatric patients dealing with obesity.

Participation in culinary medicine workshops has increased healthcare employees' confidence and knowledge in preparing whole plant-based meals, suggesting that such programs can enhance healthy lifestyle behaviors both in patients and healthcare providers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teaching Kitchens and Culinary Gardens as Integral Components of Healthcare Facilities Providing Whole Person Care: A Commentary. Fals, AM., Brennan, AM.[2023]

Culinary medicine (CM) and culinary nutrition (CN) education can effectively enhance culinary skills and nutrition knowledge among health professionals and students, as evidenced by 33 studies reviewed.

There is a need for more research to determine the best ways to implement CM/CN programs and to evaluate their impact on the dietary habits of patients and clients influenced by these trained professionals.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Culinary medicine and culinary nutrition education for individuals with the capacity to influence health related behaviour change: A scoping review. Asher, RC., Shrewsbury, VA., Bucher, T., et al.[2022]

Culinary interventions, such as cooking classes, did not significantly change cardiometabolic risk factors like body mass index, blood pressure, or LDL cholesterol in a review of 30 studies involving 7381 participants.

However, these interventions were effective in improving participants' attitudes, self-efficacy, and dietary intake, especially when combined with additional components like nutrition education or physical activity.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of culinary interventions (cooking classes) on dietary intake and behavioral change: a systematic review and evidence map. Hasan, B., Thompson, WG., Almasri, J., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. reporter.nih.gov reporter.nih.gov/search/Mv2uy7kjVk2O7SoZEvjHgw/project-details/10864029

Super Chef: Family Fun in the Kitchen - NIH RePORTER Healthy dietary patterns are emerging as an important intervention target, and the Mediterranean Dietary pattern has been particularly effective at reducing ...

2. ctv.veeva.com ctv.veeva.com/study/super-chef-an-online-program-promoting-the-mediterranean-dietary-pattern-to-lower-income-families

Super Chef - an Online Program Promoting the Mediterranean ... Healthy dietary patterns are emerging as an important intervention target, and the Mediterranean Dietary pattern has been particularly effective ...

3. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-feasibility-8-2022-4adeb

Super Chef Program for Healthy Eating · Info for Participants Medical trainees who participated in the Cooking for Health Optimization with Patients (CHOP) program were 82% more likely to adopt a Mediterranean diet ...

4. aging.networkofcare.org aging.networkofcare.org/sanmateo/CommunityResources/ClinicalTrials/Detail/NCT05863559?keyword=%22Diet%2C%20Healthy%22

an Online Program Promoting the Mediterranean Dietary ... The Mediterranean Diet dietary pattern has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), a leading cause of death in the US. Dietary ...

5. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/371335007_Outcome_Evaluation_of_the_Super_Star_Chef_Summer_Youth_Nutrition_Education_Program

Outcome Evaluation of the Super Star Chef Summer Youth ... Super Star Chef is an experiential summer youth nutrition education and cooking program designed to enhance participants' nutrition knowledge, ...

6. researchportal.murdoch.edu.au researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/profile/ruey_leng_loo/output/publication?institution=61MUN_INST

Ruey Leng Loo - Murdoch University - Output This study aims to compare the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-measured 112 lipoprotein profiles across three healthy dietary patterns: a carbohydrate-rich ...