A critical review of children’s culinary nutrition interventions, the methodologies used and their impact on dietary, psychosocial and wellbeing outcomes

This review examines the effectiveness of culinary nutrition interventions aimed at enhancing children’s food preferences and dietary behaviors. A systematic search of two electronic databases yielded 12,312 articles, of which 38 studies focusing on children’s culinary nutrition interventions were included. The majority of these studies (n = 25) were conducted in North America, with only two employing a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. Only 16 (less than half) used an established theoretical framework, and only four conducted sample size calculations. Despite methodological limitations, most studies indicated positive changes in dietary and psychosocial outcomes, although well-being was assessed in only two studies. The findings suggest a need for more rigorous research in this field, as strengthening the evidence base for culinary nutrition interventions could significantly benefit public health and reduce the long-term burden on health systems. [NPID: Culinary nutrition, interventions, psychosocial, dietary behaviors, education]

Year: 2023

Reference: Lavelle F. (2023). A critical review of children's culinary nutrition interventions, the methodologies used and their impact on dietary, psychosocial and wellbeing outcomes. Nutrition bulletin, 48(1), 6–27. https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12596