Page Contents
Overview
Target Behavior: Healthy Eating, Food Insecurity/Food Assistance, Other: Food Resource Management
Intervention Type: Direct Education, PSE Change
Intervention Reach and Adoption
Setting: Community (Live), Health care
Target Audience: Adults, Older Adults
Race/Ethnicity: No special focus
Intervention Components
Intervention Materials
- Lesson 1: Healthy Cooking Basics
- Lesson 2: Choosing Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains
- Lesson 3: Cooking Lean and Low-Fat
- Lesson 4: Plan to Make the Most of your Meals
- Lesson 5: Shopping Smart
- Lesson 6: Recipes for Success
CMA instructor guides and participant booklets are available via Cooking Matters Fulfillment Center. Survey tools are available via Wholesome Wave Toolkit. A password (available by request) is needed to access Pre-mid-post survey tools.
Intervention Costs
Evidence Summary
Overall, participants showed statistically significant improvements across multiple indicators. These outcomes were assessed when baseline and end line data were used to compare changes in diet, knowledge of healthy eating and shopping practices, confidence in participating in healthy behaviors (like shopping and cooking healthy on a budget), food security, and some biometric markers. For more in-depth discussion of statistical methods and aggregate data for 2019, as well as past cohorts, see the Evaluation Reports on the Wholesome Wave Georgia website.
The unintended benefits of the intervention include:
- Participants valued the ongoing support that came with being part of a long-term cohort in a six-month program
- Produce redemption at the markets provided ongoing social support for program participants
- Participants visited with classmates at the markets (with some even travelling together) and shared tips about shopping and cooking
- Participants talked about cooking and nutrition with the OHCM Registered Dietitian (RD) who was at markets to distribute seasonal recipes and samples
- Continued touch points among participants, as well as between participants and the OHCM RD, helped keep participants engaged and motivated throughout the program
Evidence-based Approach: Practice-tested
Evaluation Indicators
Readiness and Capacity – Short Term (ST) | Changes – Medium Term (MT) | Effectiveness and Maintenance – Long Term (LT) | Population Results (R) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Individual | MT1, MT2 | |||
Environmental Settings | ||||
Sectors of Influence | MT11 |
MT1: Healthy Eating
- MT1h: Statistically significant decrease in frequency of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption at p<0.05.
- MT1i: Participant responses, on a Likert scale, trended towards consumption of low-fat or fat-free milk as well as low- fat or fat-free dairy products
- MT1j: Participant responses, on a Likert scale, trended towards consumption of more whole grain products.
MT2: Food Resource Management
- MT2a: Statistically significant increase (p<0.01) in participants who reported being “very confident” in choosing healthy foods for their families on a budget (baseline = 45.3% and end line = 67.5%)
- MT2b: Participant responses, on a Likert scale, trended towards increased use of nutrition facts labels or nutrition ingredients lists
- MT2f: Statistically significant increase (p<0.01) in participants who reported being “very confident” in buying fruits and vegetables (baseline = 53.6% and end line = 67.5%)
- MT2h: There was no significant difference in participants comparing prices before buying foods from baseline to end line.
- MT2j: There was no significant difference in reporting shopping with a list from baseline to end line.
- MT2m: Statistically significant increase (p<0.01) in participants who reported being “very confident” in cooking healthy foods on a budget (baseline = 47.7% and end line = 66.2%)
MT11: Health Care Clinical-Community Linkages
- MT11d: Seven safety net clinics participated in the 2019 program
Evaluation Materials
Additional Information
Contact Person(s):
Katie Leite
Cooking Matters Program Manager, Open Hand Atlanta
Phone: 717-802-4428
Email: kleite@openhandatlanta.org
Aleta McLean
Senior Director of Client Services and Outcomes Tracking, Open Hand Atlanta
Phone: 404-419-3313
Email: amclean@projectopenhand.org
*Updated as of August 23, 2023