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1 – 10 of over 16000Anders Wien, Siril Alm and Themistoklis Altintzoglou
The purpose of this study was to explore whether consumers' confidence in cooking skills related to seafood differed across genders, and if such difference could be explained by…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to explore whether consumers' confidence in cooking skills related to seafood differed across genders, and if such difference could be explained by the identity-relevance of seafood cooking for men.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data was collected from a balanced sample of 515 Norwegian consumers.
Findings
The results showed that men (versus women) with high confidence in their seafood cooking skills have a lower preference for convenient seafood solutions, indicating that these men may be more reluctant to use food products that could hinder the cooking outcome being attributed to their cooking skills.
Originality/value
This study adds nuance to the understanding of male consumers as highly reliant on convenience products when cooking. More specifically, this study provides novel insight into how men function differently than women in relation to preparing seafood, suggesting that some men resist using convenient seafood solutions in order to express an identity as skillful in the kitchen.
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Martin Caraher, Paul Dixon, Tim Lang and Roy Carr‐Hill
This article uses data from the 1993 Health and Lifestyles Survey of England to present findings on how, why and when people use cooking skills; where and from whom people learn…
Abstract
This article uses data from the 1993 Health and Lifestyles Survey of England to present findings on how, why and when people use cooking skills; where and from whom people learn these skills. The implications for policy are explored. The survey data suggests that socio‐economic status and education are associated with the sources of people’s knowledge about cooking. The first or prime source of learning about cooking skills was reported to be mothers; cooking classes in school were cited as the next most important by the majority of correspondents, with some class and educational variations. The importance of mothers as sources of information on cooking skills is observed in all social classes. What emerges is a population unsure of specific cooking techniques and lacking in confidence to apply techniques and cook certain foods. Women still bear the burden of cooking for the household, with four out of every five women respondents cooking on most or every day, compared with one in five men. This may be related to the large number of men who claim to have no cooking skills (one in five).
Joanna Kowalkowska, Rui Poínhos and Sara Rodrigues
The purpose of this paper is to assess the reliability of a Portuguese version of the cooking skills scale (CSS) and to evaluate the association between cooking skills and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the reliability of a Portuguese version of the cooking skills scale (CSS) and to evaluate the association between cooking skills and socio-demographic, psychological and other cooking-related variables.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted as an online survey among 730 Portuguese university students. Translation and back-translation of the CSS were performed. Data were assessed in two stages (test and retest) and the psychometric properties of the CSS were analyzed. The effect of socio-demographic variables was assessed by binary logistic regression analysis. The odds ratios for upper tertile of the CSS score were calculated using the lower tertile as reference.
Findings
Cronbach’s α for the CSS was 0.90. In the analysis of test-retest reliability, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was 0.79 and Cohen’s κ (for tertiles) was 0.49. Cooking skills were higher in respondents cooking more often, feeling more confident, enjoying more and indicating the personal interest as the main motivation to learn how to cook. Cooking skills were significantly better in females, older students and those with more independent place of residence.
Originality/value
Very good psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the CSS were found among university students, providing a proper and simple tool to measure cooking skills in future studies with similar populations. The interventions encouraging to acquire and improve cooking skills as part of promoting healthy eating should be targeted especially toward men and young adults.
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Julia A. Wolfson, Stephanie Bostic, Jacob Lahne, Caitlin Morgan, Shauna C. Henley, Jean Harvey and Amy Trubek
The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of – and need for – an expanded understanding of cooking (skills and knowledge) to inform research on the connection…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of – and need for – an expanded understanding of cooking (skills and knowledge) to inform research on the connection between cooking and health.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper describes a concept of “food agency” and contrasts it with how cooking is commonly conceived in food and nutrition literature. A food agency-based pedagogy and proposals for using it are also introduced.
Findings
Cooking is a complex process that may be crucial for making a difference in the contemporary problems of diet-related chronic diseases. There are two interlinked problems with present research on cooking. First, cooking has yet to be adequately conceptualized for the design and evaluation of effective public health and nutrition interventions. The context within which food-related decisions and actions occur has been neglected. Instead, the major focus has been on discrete mechanical tasks. In particular, recipes are relied upon despite no clear evidence that recipes move people from knowledge to action. Second, given the incomplete theorization and definition of this vital everyday practice, intervention designs tend to rely on assumptions over theory. This creates certain forms of tautological reasoning when claims are made about how behavior changes. A comprehensive theory of food agency provides a nuanced understanding of daily food practices and clarifies how to teach cooking skills that are generalizable throughout varied life contexts.
Originality/value
This commentary is of value to academics studying cooking-related behavior and public health practitioners implementing and evaluating cooking interventions.
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Amanda McCloat, Elaine Mooney and Lynsey Elizabeth Hollywood
The purpose of this paper is to examine the self-reported food skills, cooking confidence and practices amongst a sample of parents on the Island of Ireland (IOI) and to highlight…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the self-reported food skills, cooking confidence and practices amongst a sample of parents on the Island of Ireland (IOI) and to highlight jurisdictional similarities and differences between Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI).
Design/methodology/approach
Parents (n=363) on the IOI completed a questionnaire exploring confidence levels of food skills, cooking techniques executed and the identification of barriers which might impact on meal preparation. Non-probability convenience sampling was utilised.
Findings
The majority of parents (75 per cent) learned their basic cooking skills from their mother with home economics classes being the second most popular source of learning. There were a number of statistically significant jurisdictional differences. For example, when preparing dinners, NI parents were less likely to enjoy cooking and more likely to use processed foods such as breaded frozen chicken and jars of sauces than ROI (x2=56.167, df=1, p<0.001). Similarly, parents in NI were less likely to involve family members in meal preparation (x2=17.939, df=1, p<0.001). Parents in the ROI reported higher confidence levels than NI parents when cooking from basic ingredients; following a simple recipe and preparing new foods. Over half (51 per cent) of parents identified barriers to cooking with fresh ingredients as: time, cost, busy family life and limited facilities.
Research limitations/implications
Findings indicate that parents would benefit from exposure to practical food skills intervention focussed on quick, nutritious family meals while simultaneously developing parents’ culinary skills and cooking confidence in home cooked meal preparation.
Originality/value
There is a lack of information pertaining to food skills and cooking confidence amongst parents on the IOI.
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Albina Granberg, Viktoria Olsson and Ylva Mattsson Sydner
The purpose of this paper is to explore which elements of cooking skills Home Economics (HE) teachers in schools for students with mild intellectual disability (ID) consider…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore which elements of cooking skills Home Economics (HE) teachers in schools for students with mild intellectual disability (ID) consider important for their students to learn.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 22 qualitative interviews with HE teachers of students with mild ID were conducted. The transcripts were analyzed thematically using the sociocultural approach on learning and knowledge as a theoretical framework.
Findings
The elements of cooking skills that were emphasized included mastering the language of cooking, measuring, following recipes, representing an instrumental and task-centered – knowledge on cooking.
Practical implications
The results of this study provide an insight into cooking lessons in HE in schools, not only regarding the focus that teachers give to cooking skills, but also to how cooking skills can be understood on a theoretical level. This has implications for both regular schools and schools for students with mild IDs since the elements that teachers consider important then guide what the students are given to learn. Teachers should be conscious that the planning of lessons should also be based on the students’ specific circumstances and context.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that provides knowledge about how HE teachers reason regarding which cooking skills they consider important for students to learn. HE is taught to both children and adolescents, and it is important to investigate teachers’ perceptions about the subject and how the teaching is organized, including cooking skills.
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Stephanie Marie Bostic and Amanda C. McClain
The purpose of this paper is to explore how the cooking experiences of older adults living in the USA contributed to cooking skill development and cooking practices over their…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how the cooking experiences of older adults living in the USA contributed to cooking skill development and cooking practices over their life course.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 17 adults aged 60 and older living in two rural counties, who prepared at least three basic meals per week, were purposefully recruited to represent different living situations, perceived income level, and education level. Two retrospective in-depth interviews with each person collected biographical cooking narratives, analyzed using a life course perspective. Life course perspective concepts and emergent themes were identified. Timelines for each participant were prepared.
Findings
All participants expressed interest and pleasure in eating but they described different patterns of skills, behaviors, and feelings regarding cooking. Four cooking trajectories emerged: resilient, expanding, contracting interest, and contracting capability. Cooking skills evolved for some only during older adulthood, and supported both contracting and expanding food preparation. When cooking declined, it decreased due to shifts in personal priorities or in physical capability to carry out cooking tasks.
Practical implications
Recognizing the different patterns of cooking trajectories may help health care providers and the food industry better serve the diverse nutritional needs of older adults, including those not traditionally served: individuals who are actively seeking information as they increase their cooking and those who are avoiding cooking due to lack of interest.
Originality/value
Trajectories are a useful tool for analyzing skills and practices over time, which can facilitate understanding of food choice activities. Trajectories have not been previously used to explicitly examine cooking skills.
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Dawn Mc Dowell, Una McMahon-Beattie and Amy Burns
The purpose of this paper is to consider the importance of structured and consistent practical cookery skills intervention in the 11-14-year age group. This paper reviews the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to consider the importance of structured and consistent practical cookery skills intervention in the 11-14-year age group. This paper reviews the impact and development of statutory and non-statutory cooking skills interventions in the UK and considers limitations in relation to life skills training. Currently practical cooking skills are mainly derived from two sources namely the non-statutory sector (community cooking interventions) and the statutory sector (Home Economics teaching).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper compares the two interventions in terms of effective long-term outcomes. Non-statutory cooking interventions are generally lottery funded and therefore tend to be single teaching blocks of, on average, six to eight weeks targeting mostly low-income adults and the literature emphasises a deficit of empirical measurement of the long-term impact. In contrast Home Economics classes offer a structured learning environment across genders and socio-economic groups. In addition it is taught over a substantial time frame to facilitate a process of practical skills development (with relevant theoretical teaching), reflection, group communication and consolidation, where according to current educational theory (Kolb, 1984) learning is more thoroughly embedded with the increased potential for longer term impact.
Findings
The review identifies the limitations of too many community initiatives or “project-itis” (Caraher, 2012, p. 10) and instead supports the use of the school curriculum to best maximise the learning of practical cooking skills.
Originality/value
This review will be of particular value to educationalists and health policy decision makers.
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Manuela Mika Jomori, Rossana Pacheco da Costa Proença, Maria Elena Echevarria-Guanilo, Greyce Luci Bernardo, Paula Lazzarin Uggioni and Ana Carolina Fernandes
The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of the construct validity by the known-groups method of a Brazilian cooking skills and healthy-eating questionnaire.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of the construct validity by the known-groups method of a Brazilian cooking skills and healthy-eating questionnaire.
Design/methodology/approach
Responses obtained from university students (n=767) for Brazilian-Portuguese cooking skills and health eating questionnaire, surveyed online, were submitted to construct validity comparing two known groups. The t-test was used to compare differences between gender (male and female) and the level of cooking knowledge (high or low) in each measure of the questionnaire. Internal consistency was evaluated by obtaining the Cronbach’s coefficient.
Findings
Women showed significantly higher means than men in all scale measures, except in the self-efficacy for using basic cooking techniques (SECT), where no differences were found. Students classified as having high cooking knowledge and had higher score means in all scales compared to the students with low levels. Internal consistency was adequate for all scales (a>0.70), except for cooking attitude (CA) (a=0.33) and cooking behavior (CB) scales (a=0.59).
Research limitations/implications
SECT likely depends on cooking knowledge, independent of gender, suggesting further examination. Items and structure of CA and CB constructs also need to be examined more deeply.
Practical implications
A validated cooking skills and health-eating questionnaire demonstrated its ability to detect differences between groups, useful to provide data for further interventions.
Originality/value
No available cooking skills questionnaires were found that have been validated by the known-groups method regarding differences between gender and individuals’ level of cooking knowledge, as conducted in this study.
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Thaís Peiter de Borba, Manoella Vieira da Silva, Manuela Mika Jomori, Greyce Luci Bernardo, Ana Carolina Fernandes, Rossana Pacheco da Costa Proença, Gabriele Rockenbach and Paula Lazzarin Uggioni
Self-efficacy in cooking and consuming fruits and vegetables is one of the dimensions that compose cooking skills. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the self-efficacy of…
Abstract
Purpose
Self-efficacy in cooking and consuming fruits and vegetables is one of the dimensions that compose cooking skills. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the self-efficacy of Brazilian university students in cooking and consuming fruits and vegetables and examine the relationship of self-efficacy with sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through an online questionnaire, which was culturally adapted and validated for the studied population. Questions about self-efficacy for using basic cooking techniques (SECT), self-efficacy for using fruits, vegetables, and seasonings (SEFVS) and produce consumption self-efficacy (SEPC) were rated on a five-point Likert scale. Differences in median self-efficacy score between groups were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test or the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by the Mann–Whitney U test.
Findings
766 subjects participated in the study. The mean age was 21 ± 5.6 years, most respondents were female (60%), reported to know how to cook (72%), and lived with parents and/or grandparents (45%). The median SECT and SEFVS scores were 3.55, and the median SEPC score was 3.33. Female students, individuals aged more than 25 years, and students who did not live with their parents or grandparents had higher (p < 0.005) self-efficacy scores. Low SECT, SEFVS and SEPC scores were associated with having less than one hour a day to cook (p = 0.023, 0.01, and 0.002, respectively) and not knowing how to cook (p < 0.001). There was no relationship of median self-efficacy scores with source of knowledge about cooking skills or parental education.
Originality/value
The results of this study can guide interventions and public policies aimed at health promotion in the university setting.
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