Examining the Feasibility of the Online Advanced Cooking Education 4-H After School Club at Low-income, Urban Middle Schools

Objective To examine the feasibility of implementing the Advanced Cooking Education (ACE) 4-H After School Club online at low-income serving, urban middle schools. The primary outcome of interest is diet quality improvements. Use of Theory or Research ACE programmatic activities (mindfulness, food and nutrition career exploration, nutrition education, culinary session) were informed by constructs of the Social Cognitive Theory (eg, self-efficacy). Target Audience A purposeful sample of three middle schools that receive Title I funding (proxy for low-income serving) in Brooklyn, NY were recruited during the 2021-22 academic year. Participants were 7th and 8th grade students. Program Description Each week (12 weeks total) participants engaged in a: 1) wellness session via Zoom (2 hours; mindfulness, nutrition career exploration, nutrition education), and 2) self-guided culinary session at home (1 hour; prepared a plant-based ethnic dish using provided groceries). Evaluation Methods Demographic and the following process evaluation measures were collected: reach (% of students recruited, number attended sessions), retention (% of students who completed intervention), dose response (% of activities implemented, length of sessions), fidelity (% of activities implemented as outlined in the curriculum), and program satisfaction (scale 1=very dissatisfied, 5=very satisfied). Descriptive statistics were calculated. Results Of the ninety-one 7th and 8th grade students enrolled across the three schools, 64% participated in the study (n=58). Participants were on average 12.2 years, 59% were female, and 88% were Black. Retention was 97%, one student stopped attending at week 8 and another at week 9. For the wellness sessions: mean attendance was 9.6/12, lasted on average 114 minutes (range 102-120 minutes), 90% of activities were implemented, and 84% were implemented as outlined in the curriculum. Program satisfaction scores were as follows: overall (4.4/5), mindfulness (4.2/5), nutrition career exploration (4.4/5), nutrition education (4.4/5), and culinary session (4.5/5). Conclusion Retention and program satisfaction were high, and curriculum changes were made to improve dose response and fidelity for a forthcoming larger scale ACE study at schools across New York City. Funding USDA USDA Hatch/Smith Lever To examine the feasibility of implementing the Advanced Cooking Education (ACE) 4-H After School Club online at low-income serving, urban middle schools. The primary outcome of interest is diet quality improvements. ACE programmatic activities (mindfulness, food and nutrition career exploration, nutrition education, culinary session) were informed by constructs of the Social Cognitive Theory (eg, self-efficacy). A purposeful sample of three middle schools that receive Title I funding (proxy for low-income serving) in Brooklyn, NY were recruited during the 2021-22 academic year. Participants were 7th and 8th grade students. Each week (12 weeks total) participants engaged in a: 1) wellness session via Zoom (2 hours; mindfulness, nutrition career exploration, nutrition education), and 2) self-guided culinary session at home (1 hour; prepared a plant-based ethnic dish using provided groceries). Demographic and the following process evaluation measures were collected: reach (% of students recruited, number attended sessions), retention (% of students who completed intervention), dose response (% of activities implemented, length of sessions), fidelity (% of activities implemented as outlined in the curriculum), and program satisfaction (scale 1=very dissatisfied, 5=very satisfied). Descriptive statistics were calculated. Of the ninety-one 7th and 8th grade students enrolled across the three schools, 64% participated in the study (n=58). Participants were on average 12.2 years, 59% were female, and 88% were Black. Retention was 97%, one student stopped attending at week 8 and another at week 9. For the wellness sessions: mean attendance was 9.6/12, lasted on average 114 minutes (range 102-120 minutes), 90% of activities were implemented, and 84% were implemented as outlined in the curriculum. Program satisfaction scores were as follows: overall (4.4/5), mindfulness (4.2/5), nutrition career exploration (4.4/5), nutrition education (4.4/5), and culinary session (4.5/5). Retention and program satisfaction were high, and curriculum changes were made to improve dose response and fidelity for a forthcoming larger scale ACE study at schools across New York City.