We examined whether associations between the food environment, frequency of home cooking, diet quality and BMI were modified by the level of cooking skills.

Cross-sectional study using linear and modified Poisson regression models adjusted for age, sex, energy intake, education, income, household size and urbanisation. The frequency of home cooking was categorised into <6 and 6–7 d. Diet quality was based on a validated Dutch healthy diet index (0–150 points). Count of restaurants and food stores were determined by their count in a 1000m buffer around home and work. Cooking skills (score 1–5) were assessed using a validated questionnaire and added as interaction term.

The Netherlands.

1461 adults aged 18–65 years.

Count of restaurants and food stores were not associated with the frequency of home cooking. A 10-unit higher count of food stores was associated with a higher diet quality (β: 0·58 (95 % CI (0·04, 1·12)), and a 10-unit higher count of restaurants was associated with a lower BMI kg/m2 (β: −0·02 (95 % CI (-0·04, −0·004)). Better cooking skills were associated with a higher likelihood of cooking 6–7 d compared with <6 d (risk ratio: 1·24 (95 % CI (1·16, 1·31)) and a higher diet quality (β: 4·45 (95 % CI (3·27, 5·63)) but not with BMI. We observed no interaction between the food environment and cooking skills (P-for-interaction > 0·1).

Exposure to food stores was associated with a higher diet quality and exposure to restaurants with a lower BMI. Better cooking skills were associated with a higher frequency of home cooking and better diet quality but did not modify associations with the food environment. Future studies should explore different approaches to understand how individuals interact with their food environment.

To investigate the experiences of women participating in a cooking and nutrition component of a health promotion research initiative in an Australian Aboriginal regional community.

Weekly facilitated cooking and nutrition classes were conducted during school terms over 12 months. An ethnographic action research study was conducted for the programme duration with data gathered by participant and direct observation, four yarning groups and six individual yarning sessions. The aim was to determine the ways the cooking and nutrition component facilitated lifestyle change, enabled engagement, encouraged community ownership and influenced community action.

Regional Bindjareb community in the Nyungar nation of Western Australia.

A sample of seventeen Aboriginal women aged between 18 and 60 years from the two kinships in two towns in one shire took part in the study. The recruitment and consent process was managed by community Elders and leaders.

Major themes emerged highlighting the development of participants and their recognition of the need for change: the impact of history on current nutritional health of Indigenous Australians; acknowledging shame; challenges of change around nutrition and healthy eating; the undermining effect of mistrust and limited resources; the importance of community control when developing health promotion programmes; finding life purpose through learning; and the need for planning and partnerships to achieve community determination.

Suggested principles for developing cooking and nutrition interventions are: consideration of community needs; understanding the impact of historical factors on health; understanding family and community tensions; and the engagement of long-term partnerships to develop community determination.

The ready-meal market has grown considerably in recent years. At the same time, a degradation of traditional cooking skills has been observed. Ready meals are often rich in energy, fat and sugar and lack vegetables; however, studies investigating associations between ready-meal consumption, overweight and cooking skills are lacking. The present study examines whether demographic factors, overweight, beliefs about the nutritional value and taste of ready meals and cooking skills are associated with ready-meal consumption.

Cross-sectional survey.

Ready-meal consumption, weight status, cooking skills, beliefs about the taste and nutritional value of ready meals and demographic variables were assessed with self-administered questionnaires. Data were analysed with one-way ANOVA and multiple regression analysis.

A total of 1017 adults from the German-speaking part of Switzerland.

Men reported being more positive about ready meals and having fewer cooking skills compared with women. Overweight adults (BMI > 25 kg/m2) were more positive about nutrients and vitamins in ready meals compared with normal-weight adults. Ready-meal consumption was associated with cooking skills (β = −0·192), age (β =− 0·228), overweight (β = 0·129), nutritional value (β = −0·131), taste (β = −0·126), working status (β = 0·096) and gender (β = 0·084).

Cooking skills were identified as a strong predictor of ready-meal consumption. The importance of cooking skills as a barrier to healthy eating should be explored, as it is plausible that cooking skills will further decrease in the future. Next, the study provided evidence for an association between ready-meal consumption and overweight. Further research should examine the importance of ready meals for the overweight epidemic.