Effectiveness of the Apprenti en Action School-based Culinary Program on 9-10-year-old Children's Food Literacy

Students' consumption of vegetables and fruits was measured using two questions from the provincial New Brunswick Student Wellness Survey (New Brunswick Student Wellness Survey, 2016). These questions asked how many vegetables and fruits they had eaten the day before the survey. This was measured using a scale from 0 (None), to 7 (7 or more).

Students' breakfast consumption was assessed based on one question from the provincial New Brunswick Student Wellness Survey (New Brunswick Student Wellness Survey, 2016). Students were asked to report how often they ate breakfast during the last school week. This question was scored from 0 (none) to 7 (7 days of the week).

Cooking skills include all skills needed to prepare and cook foods, including cooking methods and food preparation techniques, and were measured using 18 questions. Among the questions, one was assessed with a five-point, downwards Likert-type scale (e.g. "Rate your ability to make the different breakfast foods"), and 17 questions were multiple-choice questions (e.g. "How long does it take to cook hard- and soft-boiled eggs?"). All cooking skills included in the questionnaire were skills that children were expected to have practiced during the program. The questionnaire was based on three previously-validated tools (Skeaff et al. 2020, Dean et al. 2021, Lavelle et al. 2017). Specifically, these questions measured children's ability to prepare breakfast, to use various cooking methods, to use kitchen equipment, to apply food safety practices, and to use various food preparation techniques. In total, a score ranging from 0 to 83 points was possible for this outcome variable.

Nine multiple-choice questions were used to assess children's nutrition knowledge, including their understanding of a balanced plate and food safety. These questions were inspired by those used in Skeaff et al.'s (2020) validated questionnaire. In total, a score of 0 to 9 points was possible for this outcome variable.

Food skills represent the knowledge and skills required to choose and prepare food according to available resources and to cook balanced meals. They include meal planning, following a recipe, using leftovers, making and following a grocery list, reading nutrition labels, etc. Of the three questions used to measure food skills, two questions were multiple-choice questions (e.g. "The above picture is of French toast. What are three ingredients you need for French toast?") and one was a five-point downwards Likert-type scale ("From this list, indicate how good you are at performing these actions."). These questions were based on previously-validated questionnaires (Skeaff et al. 2020, Lavelle et al. 2017). In total, a score of 0 to 53 points was possible for this outcome variable.

Students' perception of the program will be measured via virtual semi-structured focus groups. Two 40-45 minute sessions with 8-10 students per group are anticipated. Students will be asked to share their perception of the program's impact on their knowledge, skills, appreciation for healthy foods, and self-efficacy, as well as the strengths, weaknesses, and perceived relevancy of the program.

Students' parents' perception of the program will be measured via virtual semi-structured focus groups. Two 40-45 minute sessions with 8-10 parents per group are anticipated. Parents will be asked to share their perception of the program's impact on their children's knowledge, skills, appreciation for healthy foods, and self-efficacy, as well as the strengths, weaknesses, and perceived relevancy of the program.