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NCT Number: NCT06609057

Cooking for Your Health in Southern New Mexico: an 8-week, Bilingual (English and Spanish) Nutritional Intervention in Adults Living in Doña Ana and Otero Counties

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Dietary Carcinogenesis Nutrition, Healthy

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88003, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Ivette Guzman, PhD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

About this study

OUTLINE:

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 60 minute meal that includes group discussion of educational information, once a week (QW) for 6 weeks.

After completion of study intervention, participants are followed up at week 8 and 10.

The study originally closed to accrual in May 2025, with 33 participants enrolled. Following a modification to add a second cohort, the study reopened to accrual in October 2025.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 18+ years of age
  • Part I: Fluent in English (Otero and Doña Ana Counties); Part II: Fluent in English (Otero County) and fluent in Spanish (Doña Ana County)
  • Able to understand and willing to sign a written informed consent in either English or in Spanish (Part II only: Doña Ana County only)
  • Access to phone for study contacts
  • Be willing and able to attend the 6 in-person classes
  • Access to internet to complete study assessments and access study website
  • Willingness to participate in all study activities
  • Completion of all baseline data collection activities
  • No prior clinical diagnosis of diabetes

Exclusion criteria

  • Under 18 years of age, or over 70 years of age
  • Not fluent in either Spanish or English (Part II only: Doña Ana County only)
  • Unable to understand or unwilling to sign written informed consents in English or in Spanish (Part II only: Doña Ana County only)
  • No access to phone
  • Unwilling or unable to attend the 6 in person classes
  • No access to internet
  • Unwilling to participate in all study activities
  • Unable to complete all run in activities
  • Prior clinical diagnosis of diabetes

Treatment and study plan

Nutritional intervention

Other

Receive Cooking for Your Health in Southern New Mexico intervention

Questionnaire Administration

Other

Ancillary studies

Survey Administration

Other

Ancillary studies

Discussion

Other

Ancillary studies

Other names: Discuss

Primary outcomes

  1. Accrual rate

    Time frame: Within 6 months of trial activation

    The intervention will be considered feasible if accrual goals are met within 6 months of trial activation. Will be summarized using descriptive statistics. Results will be assessed separately for Part I and Part II, as well as for both groups combined.

  2. Engagement

    Time frame: Up to 8 weeks

    The intervention will be considered feasible if >= 70% of participants attend >= 70% of sessions. Will be summarized using descriptive statistics. Results will be assessed separately for Part I and Part II, as well as for both groups combined.

  3. Retention

    Time frame: At week 8

    The intervention will be considered feasible if >= 70% of participants complete the week 8 food frequency questionnaire. Will be summarized using descriptive statistics. Results will be assessed separately for Part I and Part II, as well as for both groups combined.

  4. Acceptability

    Time frame: Up to 8 weeks

    The intervention will be considered feasible if >= 70% or more of participants state that the program and study processes were acceptable, appropriate, and feasible. Acceptability will assess: intervention pre-work and in-class work activities, as well as specific data collection methods. Will be summarized using descriptive statistics. Results will be assessed separately for Part I and Part II, as well as for both groups combined.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jenny Whitten-Brannon

CONTACT

[email protected]

206.667.5625

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Other

Collaborators

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)
  • New Mexico State University

Registry information

Official study title

Cooking for Your Health in Southern New Mexico

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Sep 23, 2024
Registry last updated
Jan 22, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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