title: Identifying users of traditional and Internet-based resources for meal ideas: An association rule learning approach.
abstract: Increasing home cooking while decreasing the consumption of food prepared away from home is a commonly recommended weight management strategy, however research on where individuals obtain ideas about meals to cook at home is limited. This study examined the characteristics of individuals who reported using traditional and Internet-based resources for meal ideas. 583 participants who were ≥50% responsible for household meal planning were recruited to approximate the 2014 United States Census distribution on sex, age, race/ethnicity, and household income. Participants reported demographic characteristics, home cooking frequency, and their use of 4 traditional resources for meal ideas (e.g., cookbooks), and 7 Internet-based resources for meal ideas (e.g., Pinterest) in an online survey. Independent samples t-tests compared home cooking frequency by resource use. Association rule learning identified those demographic characteristics that were significantly associated with resource use. Family and friends (71%), food community websites (45%), and cookbooks (41%) were the most common resources reported. Cookbook users reported preparing more meals at home per week (M = 9.65, SD = 5.28) compared to non-cookbook users (M = 8.11, SD = 4.93; t = -3.55, p < 0.001). Resource use was generally higher among parents and varied systematically with demographic characteristics. Findings suggest that home cooking interventions may benefit by modifying resources used by their target population.
authors.affiliation: Pennsylvania State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, 115 Health and Human Development Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. Electronic address: allison.doub@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Allison E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Doub
authors.affiliation: Pennsylvania State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, 115 Health and Human Development Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA; Pennsylvania State University, Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development, 308A Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. Electronic address: mxs693@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Meg L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Small
authors.affiliation: Northern Kentucky University, Department of Marketing, Sports Business, and Construction Management, BC 312, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA. Electronic address: levina@nku.edu.
authors.forename: Aron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.affiliation: Curiosity InsightStream, 221 East 4th Street, Suite 2300, Cincinnati, OH, 45202, USA. Electronic address: klevangie@curiosity360.com.
authors.forename: Kristie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: LeVangie
authors.affiliation: Pennsylvania State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, 115 Health and Human Development Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. Electronic address: trb21@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Timothy R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Brick
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning; D054626:Consumer Health Information; D055927:Cookbooks as Topic; D003296:Cooking; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D010349:Patient Compliance; D036301:Qualitative Research; D061108:Social Media; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Association rules; Home cooking; Internet; Meal ideas; Methodology; Social media