CHEF-ED Program for Nutrition Education

(CHEF-ED Trial)

Overseen By Arely Y. Balderas, BA

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Baylor College of Medicine

Disqualifiers: Food allergies, Medical conditions, Dietary restrictions, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

300 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It focuses on nutrition education and does not mention medication requirements.

What data supports the effectiveness of the CHEF-ED treatment for nutrition education?

The effectiveness of the CHEF-ED treatment for nutrition education is supported by studies showing that similar programs, like teaching kitchens and culinary medicine seminars, improve participants' nutrition knowledge, cooking skills, and health outcomes such as blood sugar and blood pressure levels. These programs have been shown to help people manage chronic diseases and improve their overall diet. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How is the CHEF-ED treatment different from other nutrition education treatments?

The CHEF-ED treatment is unique because it uses a structured approach called the Cook-EdTM matrix to guide the selection of food and cooking skills, focusing on improving diet quality and health. This program is designed to be adaptable to different regional dietary guidelines and food cultures, making it flexible and tailored to participants' needs. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

What is the purpose of this trial?

This study aims to test a new online program we developed for parents and their preschool children, called CHEF-ED. CHEF-ED focuses on healthy cooking, parental feeding practices, and involving children in home food preparation.

Research Team

Sheryl O. Hughes, PhD

Principal Investigator

Baylor College of Medicine

Eligibility Criteria

The CHEF-ED study is for parents with preschool children. It's designed to help families improve their cooking habits and encourage kids' involvement in food preparation. To join, participants should be interested in nutrition education.

Inclusion Criteria

Must have access to the Internet through a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer

I am a parent/caregiver of a 3 to 5-year-old child living in the greater Houston area.

Exclusion Criteria

Parents/caregivers and children who have any kind of food allergies, medical conditions, or dietary restrictions that may affect participation in the program

I am a parent/caregiver of a child with severe developmental delays.

My caregiver is younger than 18.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Pre-program

Participants complete time point 1 surveys shortly after enrollment

1 week

Online survey

Intervention

Participants receive program materials and complete weekly lessons over 7 weeks

7 weeks

Weekly online lessons

Post-program

Participants complete time point 2 surveys about 8-10 weeks after time point 1 surveys

1 week

Online survey

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for program effectiveness and may receive additional materials

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• CHEF-ED

Trial Overview This trial tests a new online program called CHEF-ED that teaches healthy cooking and feeding practices. Participants will either receive just food delivery or the CHEF-ED program plus food delivery to see which is more effective.

Participant Groups

Group I: CHEF-ED + Food Delivery group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants in this arm will receive a one-time delivery of non-perishable basic culinary ingredients and kitchen utensils and access to the CHEF-ED program, which includes weekly online program materials, such as videos, infographics, and recipes sent via text or email over 7 weeks.

Group II: Control group Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants in this arm will not receive the healthy cooking ingredients delivery nor will they have access to the CHEF-ED program during the study period.

Group III: Food Delivery Only group Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants in this arm receive a one-time delivery of non-perishable basic culinary ingredients and kitchen utensils but will not have access to the CHEF-ED program during the study period.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Baylor College of Medicine

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,044

Recruited

6,031,000+

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Collaborator

Trials

3,107

Recruited

1,813,000+

Findings from Research

In a study involving 3077 participants at a Community Teaching Kitchen, patients with diabetes who were highly engaged showed a significant reduction in HbA1c levels from 9.8% to 8.6% over 6 months, with sustained improvements for up to 36 months.

Patients with hypertension also experienced significant and sustained reductions in blood pressure, indicating that engagement in culinary education can lead to better management of chronic diseases and improve overall health outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Enhancing Chronic-Disease Education through Integrated Medical and Social Care: Exploring the Beneficial Role of a Community Teaching Kitchen in Oregon. Tanumihardjo, JP., Davis, H., Zhu, M., et al.[2023]

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 (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]

References

1. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improving patients' home cooking - A case series of participation in a remote culinary coaching program. [2019]

2. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Enhancing Chronic-Disease Education through Integrated Medical and Social Care: Exploring the Beneficial Role of a Community Teaching Kitchen in Oregon. [2023]

3. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Eat to Treat: The Methods and Assessments of a Culinary Medicine Seminar for Future Physicians and Practicing Clinicians. [2023]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Healthy Teaching Kitchen Programs: Experiential Nutrition Education Across Veterans Health Administration, 2018. [2020]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact and evaluation of an online culinary nutrition course for health, education and industry professionals to promote vegetable knowledge and consumption. [2023]

6. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Development of the Cook-EdTM Matrix to Guide Food and Cooking Skill Selection in Culinary Education Programs That Target Diet Quality and Health. [2022]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Innovation in medical education: a culinary coaching tele-nutrition training program. [2019]

8. France pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Culinary Nutrition Education Programs in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Scoping Review. [2023]

9. England 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. [2022]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Credentialed Chefs as Certified Wellness Coaches: Call for Action. [2018]