title: Methods for the evaluation of the Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food program, Australia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community-based programs aimed at improving cooking skills, cooking confidence and individual eating behaviours have grown in number over the past two decades. Whilst some evidence exists to support their effectiveness, only small behavioural changes have been reported and limitations in study design may have impacted on results.This paper describes the first evaluation of the Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food Program (JMoF) Australia, in Ipswich, Queensland. JMoF Australia is a community-based cooking skills program open to the general public consisting of 1.5 hour classes weekly over a 10 week period, based on the program of the same name originating in the United Kingdom.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mixed methods study design is proposed. Given the programmatic implementation of JMoF in Ipswich, the quantitative study is a non-randomised, pre-post design comparing participants undergoing the program with a wait-list control group. There will be two primary outcome measures: (i) change in cooking confidence (self-efficacy) and (ii) change in self-reported mean vegetable intake (serves per day). Secondary outcome measures will include change in individual cooking and eating behaviours and psycho-social measures such as social connectedness and self-esteem. Repeated measures will be collected at baseline, program completion (10 weeks) and 6 months follow up from program completion. A sample of 250 participants per group will be recruited for the evaluation to detect a mean change of 0.5 serves a day of vegetables at 80% power (0.5% significance level). Data analysis will assess the magnitude of change of these variables both within and between groups and use sub group analysis to explore the relationships between socio-demographic characteristics and outcomes.The qualitative study will be a longitudinal design consisting of semi-structured interviews with approximately 10-15 participants conducted at successive time points. An inductive thematic analysis will be conducted to explore social, attitudinal and behavioural changes experienced by program participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This evaluation will contribute to the evidence of whether cooking programs work in terms of improving health and wellbeing and the underlying mechanisms which may lead to positive behaviour change.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Australian and New Zealand Trial registration number: ACTRN12611001209987.
authors: Deakin Health Economics, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. anna.flego@deakin.edu.au
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Flego
authors: Jessica
authors: J
authors: Herbert
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Gibbs
authors: Boyd
authors: B
authors: Swinburn
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Keating
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Waters
authors: Marj
authors: M
authors: Moodie
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003296:Cooking / Q000592:standards*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables
references: Aust N Z J Public Health. 2007 Dec;31(6):545-50
references: 18081575
references: J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Oct;109(10):1759-68
references: 19782176
references: J Nutr. 2005 Oct;135(10):2486-95
references: 16177217
references: Aust N Z J Public Health. 2007 Dec;31(6):540-4
references: 18081574
references: Health Educ Res. 1999 Apr;14(2):235-47
references: 10387503
references: Public Health Nutr. 2007 Feb;10(2):203-11
references: 17261231
references: Health Promot J Austr. 2009 Aug;20(2):133-9
references: 19642962
references: Eur J Clin Nutr. 1999 Apr;53(4):298-308
references: 10334656
references: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 Feb;18 Suppl 1:S69-74
references: 20107464
references: Psychol Rev. 1977 Mar;84(2):191-215
references: 847061
references: J Hum Nutr Diet. 2011 Dec;24(6):588-95
references: 21649746
references: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Oct 17;(4):CD002128
references: 17943768
references: Can J Diet Pract Res. 2010 Fall;71(3):141-5
references: 20825697
references: J Nutr Elder. 2004;24(1):71-87
references: 15339722