Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cassy Tigner

Date

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Nutrition

Committee Chair

Tracy Bruen

Committee Member

Mary Catherine Schallert

Committee Member

Sara Foley

Abstract

Abstract Background Culinary education with a gardening component teaches individuals how to cook and grow their own food. The findings of this study are intended to assess the effectiveness of culinary education in children on healthy eating patterns and lifestyle changes. Objective The research aims to determine how effective Camp Chef, a culinary education camp with a gardening component, is at changing the lifestyle habits of children aged 7-13. Study Design Children in Shelby County, Tennessee completed one week of Camp Chef. Their healthy lifestyle habits were surveyed before and after camp. Participants There were 48 children, ages 7-13, that participated in Camp Chef. 2 children declined to participate in the study. They were all from the Memphis area. Results Paired t-tests revealed statistically significant increases in the number of participants who reported consuming vegetables the previous day (p = .002), the ability to make a salad dressing (p < .001), and the ability to stir-fry vegetables (p < .001). No significant change was observed in healthy eating knowledge. Post-assessment data showed that 57.4% of participants reported Camp Chef positively changed the way they ate at home, 85.1% liked new foods, 87.2% ate breakfast daily, 42.6% made efforts to eat more fruits and vegetables, 63.8% cooked most meals at home, and 95.7% enjoyed participating in the program. Conclusions Camp Chef effectively improved vegetable intake, culinary skills, and healthy eating behaviors among participants. While nutrition knowledge remained unchanged, likely due to high baseline levels, the program promoted meaningful behavior changes and was well-received. Future goals include expanding the program’s reach and exploring partnerships with other universities to benefit additional communities.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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