A qualitative exploration of the implementation and effectiveness of cookshop a USDA SNAP nutrition education program

Introduction: The high fat/calorie diet of many Americans contributes to high childhood obesity rates. The Cookshop Program was designed by the Foodbank for New York City to provide low income residents with the knowledge and tools to adopt an affordable healthy diet by engaging children in hands-on food preparation and exploration of healthy ingredients. We report on the qualitative findings from a process evaluation of the Cookshop Afterschool Program, which was implemented in the summer of 2012. Methods: Six focus groups were conducted with student participants (ages 6-12), three focus groups and one in-depth interview were conducted with parents of Cookshop participants, and seven in-depth interviews were held with Cookshop teachers. Focus group and interview proceedings were recorded, transcribed and transferred into Atlas.ti qualitative data analysis software. Transcript content was analyzed using codes that were generated by study questions and transcript review. A query tool was used to extract pertinent data. Results: Findings show that parents and teachers believe that the Program is successful at improving knowledge, attitudes and behaviors and students demonstrate this success. Teacher and student suggestions for program improvement are primarily related to altering recipes so as not to include unpopular ingredients (e.g. cabbage and hummus). Additionally, teachers and parents suggested providing more materials for parents to increase their nutritional knowledge and assist them with healthy meal preparation. Discussion: Cookshop participants, parents and teachers attributed increased knowledge and improved eating behaviors to the Program. Adjustments to recipes and the provision of additional materials may improve program effectiveness.