Background: The rate of overweight and obesity among adolescents aged 12-19 years has quadrupled since 1980. Reducing obesity is a key public health priority, as obesity is associated with individual and population-level health and economic consequences. Afterschool-based obesity prevention programs that aim to develop nutrition and culinary self-efficacy have shown promise. However, the level of aptitude among program instructors is directly correlated with student success, suggesting the importance of effective train-the-trainer (TTT) mechanisms for implementing and scaling up these strategies. Pink and Dude Chefs (PDC) is an afterschool nutrition education and culinary skills program for middle-school adolescents aged between 11-14 years. The PDC online TTT platform trains lay instructors on program content and preparation, lesson delivery, and classroom and kitchen safety. Trained instructors deliver PDC lessons on topics ranging from macronutrients and USDA MyPlate to knife skills and food preparation. The literature on online TTT models and instructor impact on student outcomes is limited and the PDC online training mechanism has not been evaluated. The current project sought to address these critical gaps with the aim of creating the most effective intervention model. Methods: This project was implemented in Santa Maria, Guadalupe, and New Cuyama, California from Fall 2015 to Spring 2016. Eleven instructors and 68 middle school students participated and comprehensive surveys were used to evaluate instructor and student outcomes. Results: Instructors’ performance on all three domains (food and kitchen safety, program knowledge, and overall knowledge) increased following training (45%, 63%, and 53%, respectively), all p≤0.01. Students outcomes (food and kitchen safety, nutrition knowledge, and overall knowledge) also improved following participation (14%, 33%, and 23%, respectively), all p≤0.001. Impact analyses revealed that students with instructors who scored high in overall knowledge performed better than students with low-scoring instructors (p=0.01). Conclusion: If obesity prevention programs that incorporate online TTT mechanisms, such as PDC, continue to show promising outcomes for both instructors and adolescents, larger scale efforts may contribute to decreasing the public health and economic burdens associated with obesity.

Pink and Dude Chefs: A nutrition and culinary intervention for middle school students Tianna Sheehan The prevalence of obesity in US adolescents has more than tripled in the past 35 years, and the greatest impact has been among low-income and minority racial/ethnic populations. Adolescents report inadequate fruit and vegetable intake, an overconsumption of sweetened beverages, and a high reliance on fast food locations for meals or snacks; increasing the risk of adolescent obesity. Building knowledge and skills through culinary interventions may empower middle school students to create and also choose healthful foods. Pink and Dude Chefs, a six-week nutrition and culinary intervention, aims to improve healthy eating behaviors by increasing nutrition knowledge and culinary ability. Trained research assistants from California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) led middle school boys and girls in lessons ranging on topics including macronutrients, real-world application of USDA MyPlate guidelines, and meal planning and budgeting. Cal Poly research assistants supported middle school participants in cooking recipes that were specifically chosen to highlight themes covered in the nutrition lesson and to progress in difficulty throughout the program. The program consisted of 12 lessons that were each divided into 1 hour of classroom nutrition instruction and 1 hour of hands-on cooking practicum. The program took place in two locations, at Mesa Middle School in Arroyo Grande, California and Carpinteria Middle School in Carpinteria, California with 15-20 middle school volunteer participants who enrolled in each program. Questionnaires were used to measure fruit and vegetable preferences, dietary behavior, and barriers to healthy eating, culinary skill, culinary confidence, and basic nutrition knowledge pre- and post-intervention. Participants’ responses indicated an improved dietary profile as indicated by fruit and vegetable preferences, and fruit and vegetable intake. Responses also indicated increased culinary confidence and improved nutrition knowledge. More research is needed to test the long-term impact of participation in nutrition and culinary interventions.

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In the past 20 years, the way in which food is prepared has rapidly changed. Convenience has become a way of life and Americans have replaced meals made from scratch with meals that are quick and easy. During that time, body mass index has risen steadily. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children has become common in the American population. “Pink Chefs,” a six-week culinary intervention for middle school girls 12 to 14-years-old, was developed and piloted to combat childhood obesity by teaching nutrition through basic cooking skills. The social cognitive theory was used as the theoretical framework. The goals of this program were to increase the subjects’ self-efficacy for cooking; to build knowledge for healthful dietary practices; and to provide a fun and safe environment conducive for interactive learning. This culinary enrichment program was piloted in reduced-income communities in south San Luis Obispo County, California, with 22 self-selected participants. Surveys were used to measure self-efficacy, knowledge, barriers and diet pre- versus post-intervention. Post-intervention measures demonstrated a significant (p = 0.005) intervention effect on self- efficacy for cooking. No significant increases were observed for knowledge, barriers and diet. This research, like that of Larson et al. (2006), illustrated that honing both skills and knowledge learned in a practical setting is one of the first steps for increasing self-efficacy for dietary improvements.