Dissertation
Culinary home empowerment for food waste prevention and minimization: culturally tailored intervention for Caribbean and Latin Americans in the United States (CHEF - WPM: C/LA)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Aug 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011602
Abstract
This research aimed to adapt and evaluate a food-waste prevention and minimization program that comprises a culinary education video series for home cooks. This research: 1) culturally adapted the Culinary Home Empowerment for Food Waste Prevention and Minimization (CHEF-WPM) intervention to highlight Caribbean and Latin American (C/LA) cooking techniques and cuisine; 2) assessed if there was a greater increase in acceptability and usage of culinary food waste minimization and reduction strategies among C/LA-identifying participants randomized to the CHEF-WPM-C/LA culinary intervention compared to C/LA-identifying participants randomized to the comparison CHEF-WPM; 3) assessed if there was a greater increase in motivation, opportunity, and ability (MOA) to use culinary food waste minimization and reduction strategies among C/LA-identifying participants randomized to the CHEF-WPM-C/LA culinary intervention compared to C/LA-identifying participants randomized to the comparison CHEF-WPM. The goal of the program was to increase consumers' motivation, perceived opportunity, and the ability to reduce food waste using home-based culinary techniques. The evaluation employed a multiple-method study, including quantitative analysis through a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design, a quasi-experimental randomized parallel-group design, with pre-, 3-month, and 6-month assessments, 194 participants were randomized to the comparison (n = 106) or adapted (n = 88) intervention, with a complete-case subsample (n = 88) retained across all three time points for the primary repeated-measures analyses and qualitative thematic analysis. Both perceived household food waste and self-reported food waste reduction effort improved over time across the full sample (ps [less than or equal to] .001). Food waste reduction effort also showed a significant Time x Intervention x C/LA interaction (p = .028): C/LA Participants who received the adapted intervention reported the largest short-term (3-month) increase in effort of any subgroup, but participants' scores returned toward baseline by 6 months, while C/LA participants in the comparison intervention maintained their gains. Direct comparisons of acceptability and usage outcomes among C/LA participants were not statistically significant.
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Details
- Title
- Culinary home empowerment for food waste prevention and minimization
- Creators
- DeAndra Forde
- Contributors
- Jonathan Michael Deutsch (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University
- Number of pages
- 142 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Nutrition Sciences; College of Nursing and Health Professions; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022240515204721