title: The Eating and Cooking Healthy (TEACH) Kitchen: A Research Protocol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diet-related chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia have affected millions of individuals, resulting in disease-related complications and mortality. Strategies that may improve the outcome of chronic disease management include modification of lifestyle risk factors such as unhealthy diets. TEACH Kitchen is an experiential education program related to community nutrition, the goal of which is to teach patients management of chronic disease through dietary change.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults (n=144) ≥18 years old and their children (n=144) 7-17 years old will complete four 2-hour sessions. Components of each session will include brief nutrition education (20 min), an interactive cooking session (1 hr), and after-dinner discussion (40 min). Pre- and post-session questionnaires will be administered to all participants for self-reported demographics, knowledge, attitude, and beliefs about healthy nutrition. Medical records will be used to collect information about adult participants' demographics and clinical indicators (hemoglobin A1c, lipid profile, blood pressure, weight, height, and body mass index [BMI]). Descriptive analyses will be performed to determine socio-demographic characteristics using frequencies and proportions for all categorical data, and means for continuous variables. T-tests and multiple logistic regression analysis will be accomplished to compare the differences in means.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differences in the pre- and post-session knowledge, attitude, and beliefs related to healthy eating will be evaluated for adults and children. The anticipated outcomes include enhanced education promoting healthy eating in the community, prevention of chronic disease complications related to poor diet, and prevention of obesity-related chronic diseases in children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enhancement of chronic disease management among patients, and the prevention of obesity among children, can be accomplished through healthy cooking and diet.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA.
authors.forename: Sashia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alva-Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Conger
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA.
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA.
authors.forename: Najeah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okashah
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ollila
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public & Preventive Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA; Department of Family Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA.
authors.forename: Selina A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public & Preventive Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA.
authors.forename: Benjamin E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Ansa
keywords: chronic disease; cooking; diabetes mellitus; diet; hyperlipidemia; hypertension; nutrition