Nourish Pilot & CoDesign Study

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Nutrition, Healthy

• Registration Number: NCT06398197
• Lead Sponsor: Case Western Reserve University

Brief Summary

The purpose of the research study is to learn more about the best ways to teach cooking and food skills to adults, and how cooking classes may help reduce one's stress and food waste, as well as improve their diet.

Detailed Description

Currently, 12.8% of Americans experience food insecurity, and food insecurity is associated with elevated perceived stress. Food literacy is proficiency in food-related skills and knowledge, including food preparation and cooking skills, basic nutrition knowledge, and the ability to prevent food waste. Recent research conducted in Australia suggests that food literacy interventions are associated with improved food security. Traditionally food literacy interventions take a recipe-based approach to culinary nutrition and lack information about key components of food literacy, such as food storage and food waste reduction techniques. However, recent research by the PI contends that recipes may be difficult for food insecure individuals to implement at home, given the challenge of procuring ingredients, suggesting the need for a new approach. In addition, food insecure households face additional environmental challenges, such as owning fewer cooking utensils, compared to food secure households. Based on the Social Cognitive Theory, the Nourish intervention addresses these limitations by incorporating food waste reduction, food storage knowledge, and improvisational cooking skills (cooking with what you have on hand) into food literacy and culinary nutrition education, as well as providing key cooking utensils. Eventually, the study team plans to test the impact of the Nourish intervention on food literacy, perceived stress, diet quality and food security to determine if food literacy interventions can positively impact perceived stress, diet, and food security. The present pilot study will test the feasibility and acceptability of the Nourish intervention and corresponding evaluation, as well as provide participant feedback on the intervention.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2024-04-26
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-04-30
• Study First Posted: 2024-05-03
• Study Start: 2024-07-25
• Primary Completion: 2024-12-17
• Study Completion: 2024-12-17
• Status Verified: 2025-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-05-22
• Last Update Posted: 2025-05-28

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 26

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 18 and over
• Ability to attend classes in person

Exclusion Criteria

• Non-English speaking

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Food Waste Volume	Change from Baseline to 10 weeks post-randomization	Food waste volume will be measured in grams using a study-provided food scale and waste log. Participants are asked to weigh discarded food and log the weight in a food waste tracking notebook for a period of 1 week prior to randomization at Baseline, and again for a period of 1 week at 10 weeks post-randomization. The outcome measure will use the difference in total volume of food waste between the two time points.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Community Recruitment; 🇺🇸 Cleveland, Ohio, United States