Effects of self-evaluation of cooking skills on nutrient and other dietary substance intake among female college students: A longitudinal one-year study

<p>Objectives: This study aimed to provide a longitudinal analysis of changes in female college students’ self-assessment of cooking skills and nutrient intake and examine the influence of self-assessment of cooking skills on nutrient intake. </p><p>Methods: A one-year longitudinal study (questionnaire survey) was conducted among 130 female college students to determine the impact of self-assessment of cooking skills on nutritional intake. Questionnaire responses were scored on a Likert scale, and changes in scores were statistically analyzed. </p><p>Results: Total 11 of 79 first year low nutrition intake participants were upgraded to the high nutrient intake group in the second year (groups that rose to high scores), with significantly higher cooking skill scores being observed for “vegetable stew,” “three-colored vegetable stir-fry of carrot, green bell pepper, and cabbage,” and improved overall cooking skill in the second than in the first year. Groups with increase in the scores showed the maximum percentage increase among the groups in the three items associated with the vegetable cooking skills and in the overall cooking skill score. Comparison of nutrient intake scores showed significantly higher intake values for green and yellow vegetables, fruits and light-colored vegetables, calcium, fats, oils, and overall nutrient intake in the second than in the first year. </p><p>Conclusion: These results suggest that improved self-evaluation of vegetable cooking skills could enhance vegetable, fruit, as well as the overall nutrient intake status.</p>