Use of the Community Readiness Model to Develop and Evaluate Cooking for Kids: Culinary Training for School Nutrition Professionals

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of a pilot chef-based culinary skills training program on school nutrition staffs' readiness to integrate new food preparation skills into meal planning and preparation practices that meet new federal requirements. The training was conducted in 6 Oklahoma school districts in summer 2014. Focus groups using the Community Readiness Assessment model were conducted pre and post-training. Six unique dimensions were discussed using guided questions, followed by participants agreeing on scores using an anchored rated scale. Dimension scores were averaged to calculate the overall readiness score. Change in readiness was calculated by subtracting overall pre-training from post-training scores. Two researchers familiar with the project independently reviewed recorded transcripts to identify emergent themes. The pilot training moved schools from the vague awareness stage to the preparation stage for making changes to food preparation practices. Staff reported increased skills, awareness of efforts and reason for making changes. However, training specific to individual school programs is needed. The pilot chef-based culinary training program had a positive impact on school nutrition staffs' readiness to adopt new food preparation skills. Future efforts should focus on customizing training to individual programs and school-wide nutrition interventions.