Cooking Program for Cancer Prevention

Overseen by Heather Greenlee

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Recruiting

Sponsor: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Disqualifiers: Diabetes, others

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This clinical trial evaluates a nutritional intervention called Cooking for Your Health in Southern New Mexico for improving diet quality and knowledge related to nutrition and cancer prevention among individuals living in the Southern region of New Mexico. New Mexico border communities have high rates of cancer and obesity, both exacerbated by poor diet quality. Traditional Mexican diets are high in fruit, vegetables, and fiber, but are intensive to prepare and not practical for many families living in New Mexico now. Vegetable oils, such as canola, safflower, and sunflower oils, are commonly used in cooking within the regional New Mexican community because they are inexpensive and readily available; however, they may not be as healthy as other options. Interventions focused on teaching proper cooking techniques and raising awareness about nutritious foods have shown positive behavior changes, including greater preference for healthier foods, increased confidence in food preparation and cooking a balanced meal, and higher vegetable variety and availability in the home. This study may help identify effective and culturally relevant real-world strategies to improve knowledge, skills, behaviors, and access to resources to improve nutrient intake, with the long-term goal of decreasing cancer risk and chronic disease risk in southern New Mexican communities.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Cooking for Your Health in preventing cancer?

Research shows that cooking education programs can improve cooking skills, increase vegetable consumption, and enhance diet-related confidence and self-management strategies. These programs, like the one in central Texas, have been successful in diverse communities, suggesting they may help in cancer prevention by promoting healthier eating habits. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Cooking Program for Cancer Prevention safe for humans?

The available research on similar cooking and culinary medicine programs suggests they are generally safe and well-received by participants, focusing on promoting healthy eating and reducing chronic disease risk. ^{1 3 6 7 8}

How does the Cooking for Your Health treatment differ from other treatments for cancer prevention?

The Cooking for Your Health program is unique because it focuses on teaching cooking skills and providing nutritional education to promote healthy eating habits, which can help prevent cancer. Unlike traditional medical treatments, this program emphasizes hands-on cooking classes and community engagement to improve dietary behaviors and increase vegetable consumption. ^{3 5 7 9 10}

Research Team

Heather Greenlee

Principal Investigator

Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for individuals in the El Paso del Norte region of New Mexico who are interested in improving their diet and nutrition knowledge to potentially reduce cancer risk. Participants should be willing to engage in interviews, learn nutritional interventions, and complete questionnaires and surveys.

Inclusion Criteria

Current resident of Dona Ana or Otero County

I am fluent in either Spanish or English.

I can attend all 6 required classes in person.

Exclusion Criteria

I cannot or do not want to attend the 6 in-person classes.

I cannot complete all the required preliminary activities.

I am not fluent in English or Spanish.

Trial Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Nutritional Intervention

Participants attend Cooking for Your Health in Southern New Mexico intervention sessions, consisting of pre-work, hands-on cooking, and group discussion once a week for 6 weeks

6 weeks

6 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for engagement and retention, with follow-up assessments at week 8 and 10

4 weeks

2 visits (in-person)

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Cooking for Your Health (Behavioural Intervention)

Trial Overview The study tests 'Cocinar Para Su Salud en Paso del Norte' (Cook for Your Health), a program aimed at teaching proper cooking techniques and promoting awareness about nutritious foods that may help lower cancer risk.

Participant Groups

Group I: Prevention (nutrition intervention) Experimental Treatment 4 Interventions

Participants attend Cooking for Your Health in Southern New Mexico intervention sessions, consisting of 15-30 minutes of pre-work (watching an educational video and/or practicing a new culinary skill), 60 minutes of hands-on experiential cooking and culinary session in a teaching kitchen, and a 30 minute meal that includes group discussion of educational information, QW for 6 weeks.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

583

Recruited

1,341,000+

Dr. W. Thomas Purcell

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Chief Medical Officer since 2022

MD from Emory University School of Medicine, MBA from University of Chicago

Dr. Thomas J. Lynch Jr.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Chief Executive Officer since 2020

MD from Yale School of Medicine

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Collaborator

Trials

14,080

Recruited

41,180,000+

Dr. Douglas R. Lowy

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Chief Executive Officer since 2023

MD from New York University School of Medicine

Dr. Monica Bertagnolli

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Chief Medical Officer since 2022

MD from Harvard Medical School

New Mexico State University

Collaborator

Trials

10

Recruited

2,100+

Findings from Research

The Healthy Teaching Kitchen (HTK) program, implemented by the Veterans Health Administration, has been found to be acceptable and feasible for veterans, providing interactive nutrition and culinary education.

Participants in the HTK program reported increased self-efficacy for making dietary changes, suggesting that the program empowers veterans to improve their dietary and cooking habits, potentially leading to better health outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Healthy Teaching Kitchen Programs: Experiential Nutrition Education Across Veterans Health Administration, 2018. Black, M., LaCroix, R., Hoerster, K., et al.[2020]

Culinary medicine programs, which include teaching kitchens and gardens, have shown promising preliminary outcomes in improving health metrics like weight and cardiometabolic risk factors in pediatric patients dealing with obesity.

Participation in culinary medicine workshops has increased healthcare employees' confidence and knowledge in preparing whole plant-based meals, suggesting that such programs can enhance healthy lifestyle behaviors both in patients and healthcare providers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teaching Kitchens and Culinary Gardens as Integral Components of Healthcare Facilities Providing Whole Person Care: A Commentary. Fals, AM., Brennan, AM.[2023]

Patients with diabetes expressed frustration over inconsistent dietary advice from healthcare providers and a lack of culturally relevant recommendations, highlighting the need for tailored nutrition guidance.

Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) identified a need for more training in cultural humility and culinary nutrition skills to effectively support low-income, diverse populations in implementing food prescription and culinary medicine programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Barriers and Facilitators of Implementing a Clinic-Integrated Food Prescription Plus Culinary Medicine Program in a Low-Income Food Insecure Population: A Qualitative Study. McWhorter, JW., Danho, MP., LaRue, DM., et al.[2022]

Culinary medicine (CM) programs are emerging to educate both health professionals and patients on healthy food preparation, with 10 identified programs educating 2,654 health professionals and 4,225 patients annually.

Despite the growth of CM programs, there is a lack of consensus on learning objectives and outcomes, highlighting the need for a unified approach to enhance their effectiveness and research on their impact.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Health-related Culinary Education: A Summary of Representative Emerging Programs for Health Professionals and Patients. Polak, R., Phillips, EM., Nordgren, J., et al.[2020]

A multidisciplinary cooking program at a health center significantly improved participants' cooking self-efficacy and diet-related self-management strategies, with 44% reporting increased vegetable consumption after attending the classes.

Participants felt a strong sense of community, with 100% feeling valued in their cooking group, highlighting the program's effectiveness in fostering social connections alongside dietary education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cross-Sector Partnerships for Improved Cooking Skills, Dietary Behaviors, and Belonging: Findings from a Produce Prescription and Cooking Education Pilot Program at a Federally Qualified Health Center. Ylitalo, KR., Janda, KM., Clavon, R., et al.[2023]

The Culinary Medicine Curriculum (CMC) is the first comprehensive, open-source guide designed to help health professionals teach culinary medicine, emphasizing a whole food, plant-based diet that is healthy, delicious, and accessible.

In just two months after its release, the CMC was downloaded 2,379 times across 83 countries, indicating a strong global demand for resources that support culinary medicine education and dietary behavior change in patient care.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The First, Comprehensive, Open-Source Culinary Medicine Curriculum for Health Professional Training Programs: A Global Reach. Hauser, ME., Nordgren, JR., Adam, M., et al.[2021]

Cooking programs for children aged 5 to 12 can positively influence their food-related preferences, attitudes, and behaviors, as shown in a review of eight studies.

The effectiveness of these programs varied widely in terms of duration and outcomes measured, indicating a need for further research to identify best practices and ideal program components.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of cooking classes on food-related preferences, attitudes, and behaviors of school-aged children: a systematic review of the evidence, 2003-2014. Hersch, D., Perdue, L., Ambroz, T., et al.[2018]

Over three years, the Sodium Reduction in Communities Program successfully reduced sodium intake in community meal programs in northwest Arkansas, achieving a 40% reduction in sodium served per diner in the first year and maintaining a 35% reduction by Year 3.

The program's strategies, including food service guidelines and procurement practices, effectively supported sustainable sodium reduction, benefiting diners who are food insecure and at high risk for hypertension.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reducing Sodium Intake in Community Meals Programs: Evaluation of the Sodium Reduction in Communities Program, Arkansas, 2016-2019. Long, CR., Spear, MJ., Bogulski, CA., et al.[2021]

A 3-week hospital-based cooking and gardening program for children aged 8-15 in Seattle showed promising results, with 100% of participants cooking at home and 78% gardening at home one year later.

This program demonstrates the feasibility of using integrated cooking and gardening interventions as effective strategies for promoting healthy eating habits among children and their families.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Joy of gardening: a hospital-based cooking and gardening program. Kim, G., Thompson, K.[2021]

The 'Southwest Harvest for Health' program, a home-based vegetable gardening intervention for cancer survivors, was highly feasible and well-accepted, with a 100% retention rate among 30 participants over nine months.

Participants reported a median increase of 1.2 servings of vegetables and fruits per day, indicating that the program effectively promoted healthier eating habits among adult cancer survivors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Southwest Harvest for Health: An Adapted Mentored Vegetable Gardening Intervention for Cancer Survivors. Blair, CK., Adsul, P., Guest, DD., et al.[2023]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Healthy Teaching Kitchen Programs: Experiential Nutrition Education Across Veterans Health Administration, 2018. [2020]

2. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teaching Kitchens and Culinary Gardens as Integral Components of Healthcare Facilities Providing Whole Person Care: A Commentary. [2023]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Barriers and Facilitators of Implementing a Clinic-Integrated Food Prescription Plus Culinary Medicine Program in a Low-Income Food Insecure Population: A Qualitative Study. [2022]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Health-related Culinary Education: A Summary of Representative Emerging Programs for Health Professionals and Patients. [2020]

5. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cross-Sector Partnerships for Improved Cooking Skills, Dietary Behaviors, and Belonging: Findings from a Produce Prescription and Cooking Education Pilot Program at a Federally Qualified Health Center. [2023]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The First, Comprehensive, Open-Source Culinary Medicine Curriculum for Health Professional Training Programs: A Global Reach. [2021]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of cooking classes on food-related preferences, attitudes, and behaviors of school-aged children: a systematic review of the evidence, 2003-2014. [2018]

8. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reducing Sodium Intake in Community Meals Programs: Evaluation of the Sodium Reduction in Communities Program, Arkansas, 2016-2019. [2021]

9. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Joy of gardening: a hospital-based cooking and gardening program. [2021]

10. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Southwest Harvest for Health: An Adapted Mentored Vegetable Gardening Intervention for Cancer Survivors. [2023]