The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #71577

Lynn Fredericks¹, Mercedes Sanchez, RD², and Jamillah Hoy Rosas, RD². (1) FamilyCook Productions, 330 East 43rd Street, Ste.704, New York, NY 10017, 212/867-3929, Lynn@FamilyCookProductions.com, (2) Pediatrics, New York Methodist Hospital, 516 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215

CCAP (Careers Through Culinary Arts Program) desired to develop a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary inner city Middle School curriculum that would: 1) identify students interested in pursuing a culinary career; and 2) afford students with food/nutrition awareness and culinary skills to improve their dietary behaviors. CCAP hired FamilyCook Productions to develop the curriculum. The 15-week program covers culinary, career, nutrition, social/developmental and academic disciplines. It requires students to use critical thinking and evaluate their dietary decisions based upon their newly acquired knowledge. The students (60 total in 4 after school settings in 3 boroughs of New York City) were administered pre- and post- program Food Frequency Questionnaires to assess improvement. Preliminary findings indicate that such interventions which empower adolescents on both a skills and thinking level, result in very positive outcomes in new dietary behaviors. The findings also indicate that raising students’ awareness of the greater ‘food system’ and encouraging their informed choices supports a more healthful and sustainable food supply. Empowering students with their ‘power’ of choice encourages them to utilize their community voice to request change in their community resources (access to healthful food). The curriculum's multi-cultural approach to food and cooking also results in more students being more open-minded about other cultures and new and healthy foods.

Learning Objectives:

Demonstrate the effectiveness of a multi-disciplinary approach to improving the dietary behaviors of adolescents though building their skills in the following areas: culinary skills, career awareness, nutrition, social/developmental and academic disciplines. At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to:
• Construct the scope of content for a multi-disciplinary intervention for improving adolescent dietary behavior that will be effective and motivational.
• Utilize the proven approaches that are presented to communicate about nutrition to adolescents in a manner that they will embrace rather than dismiss.
• Identify validated assessment tools for measuring the success for dietary interventions with this age group and supplementing such existing tools with their own tools to achieve a complete picture of dietary improvement as a result of the intervention.

Keywords: Nutrition, Adolescent Health

Related Web page: www.FamilyCookProductions.com

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.