Psychosocial benefits of cooking interventions: a systematic review

This is a systematic review published in 2018 examining the research on the influence of cooking interventions on psychosocial outcomes. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed to find that inpatient and community-based cooking interventions yielded positive influences on socialisation, self-esteem, quality of life, and affect. But generally, the quality of the research was weak due to non-randomisation, unvalidated research tools and small sample sizes. Although this review suggests that cooking interventions may positively influence psychosocial outcomes, this evidence is preliminary and requires back-up from additional qualitative and rigorous quantitative research to identify the mechanisms by which cooking interventions may improve psychosocial outcomes. [NPID: psychosocial, cooking interventions, socialization, self-esteem, quality of life, affect]

Year: 2018

Reference: Farmer, N., Touchton-Leonard, K., & Ross, A. (2018). Psychosocial Benefits of Cooking Interventions: A Systematic Review. Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education, 45(2), 167–180. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198117736352