Virtual teaching kitchen classes and cardiovascular disease prevention counselling among medical trainees

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Alexander C. Razavi, Emory University; Anna Latoff, Tulane University; Amber Dyer, Tulane University; Jaclyn Lewis Albin, University of Texas Southwestern; Kristi Artz, Spectrum Health; Alexandra Babcock, Mercy Health Research; Francesca Cimino, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital; Farzaneh Daghigh, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine; Beth Dollinger, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine; Maya Fiellin, George Washington University; Emily A. Johnston, Pennsylvania State University; Grace Marie Jones, Touro University California; Robert D. Karch, University of Central Florida; Emily T. Keller, Maine Medical Center; Heather Nace, Tulane University; Nimisha K. Parekh, University of California Irvine; Stephanie Nelson Petrosky, Nova Southeastern University; Amy Robinson, University of New Mexico; Jessica Rosen, New York Medical College; Eva M. Sheridan, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell; Susan W. Warner, University of Tennessee; Jada L. Willis, Texas Christian University; Timothy S. Harlan, George Washington University
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-06-01
• Publisher: BMJ
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjnph-2022-000477
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 6
• End Page: 13
• Grant/Funding Information: This research was supported by several grants. Culinary Medicine programming was supported in part by the Goldring Family Foundation, The Woldenberg Family Foundation, the Humana Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
• Keywords: COVID-19; preventive counselling; dietary patterns
• Research Categories: Biology, Virology; Health Sciences, Nutrition

Abstract

Background Hands-on culinary medicine education for medical trainees has emerged as a promising tool for cardiovascular health promotion. Purpose To determine whether virtual culinary medicine programming associates with Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) adherence and lifestyle medicine competencies among medical trainees across the USA. Method A total of 1433 medical trainees across 19 sites over a 12-month period were included. The Cooking for Health Optimisation with Patients-Medical Trainees survey composed of 61 questions regarding demographics, nutritional attitudes, dietary habits including MedDiet score and lifestyle medicine counselling competencies. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the association of virtual culinary medicine education with MedDiet intake and nutritional attitudes. Results There were 519 medical trainees who participated in virtual culinary medicine education and 914 medical trainees who participated in their standard nutrition curricula. More than one-half of participants were women (n=759) and the mean age was 27 years old. Compared with students enrolled in traditional nutrition curricula, participants in virtual culinary medicine education were 37% more likely to adhere to MedDiet guidelines for fruit intake (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.83, p=0.03). Virtual culinary medicine education was associated with higher proficiency in lifestyle medicine counselling categories, notably recommendations involving fibre (OR 4.03; 95% CI 3.05 to 5.34), type 2 diabetes prevention (OR 4.69; 95% CI 3.51 to 6.27) and omega fatty acids (OR 5.21; 95% CI 3.87 to 7.02). Virtual culinary medicine education had a similar, although higher magnitude association with MedDiet counselling competency (OR 5.73, 95% CI 4.26 to 7.70) when compared with historical data previously reported using hands-on, in-person culinary medicine courseware (OR 4.97, 95% CI 3.89 to 6.36). Conclusions Compared with traditional nutritional educational curricula, virtual culinary medicine education is associated with higher MedDiet adherence and lifestyle medicine counselling competencies among medical trainees. Both virtual and hands-on culinary medicine education may be useful for cardiovascular health promotion.