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Accepted manuscript

Evaluation of the school-based “PhunkyFoods” intervention on food literacy and cooking skills; a cluster randomized controlled trial in the UK

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2025

Karen L. Vaughan Open the ORCID record for Karen L. Vaughan [Opens in a new window] ,
Milca Vidal ,
Janet E. Cade ,
Marion M. Hetherington  and
Charlotte E.L. Evans
Karen L. Vaughan*
Affiliation:
School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
Milca Vidal
Affiliation:
School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
Janet E. Cade
Affiliation:
School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
Marion M. Hetherington
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
Charlotte E.L. Evans
Affiliation:
School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. Purple Nutrition, 17 Hazel Drive, Chesterfield, S40 3EN, UK.
*
*Corresponding author: Karen Vaughan, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, [email protected] +44 07968 445021
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

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Objective:

We evaluated the impact of an established nutrition education intervention, ‘PhunkyFoods’ on food literacy, cooking skills, and fruit and vegetable intake in primary school aged children.

Design:

A pre-registered cluster randomised controlled trial was used; the intervention group received the ‘PhunkyFoods’ programme and the wait-list control group received the usual school curriculum. Primary outcomes measured were differences in food literacy and cooking skills scores between the intervention and control arms after 12 months adjusted for baseline values.

Setting:

The trial was undertaken in 26 primary schools in North Yorkshire, UK.

Participants:

631 children aged 6 – 9 years participated (intervention n = 307, control n = 324) through assemblies, classroom activities and after-school clubs.

Results:

There were no significant effects of the intervention compared to control on food literacy, cooking skills, vegetable intake or fruit intake. Adjusting for baseline, the Food Literacy Total Score was 1.13 points lower in the intervention group than the control (95% CI -2.87 to 0.62, p = 0.2). The Cooking Skills Total Score was 0.86 lower in the intervention group compared to the control (95% CI = -5.17 to 3.45, p = 0.69). Girls scored 2.8 points higher than boys in cooking skills across the sample (95% CI = 0.88 to 4.82, p < 0.01).

Conclusion:

The intervention did not result in improved food literacy or cooking skills, though sex effects on these outcomes were observed. More practical food preparation hours are needed in primary schools to improve likelihood of an effect on outcomes.

Keywords

Cluster-RCTFood LiteracyCooking skillsComplex InterventionFruit and Vegetable IntakeHealthy Eating
Type
Research Paper
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Accepted manuscript , pp. 1 - 33
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society