Use of Community Readiness Model to Develop and Evaluate a Pilot Culinary Training Program for School Nutrition Staff

Abstract Objective Use the Community Readiness Model (CRM) to develop and evaluate a contextually appropriate pilot culinary training program for school nutrition staff members. Design Mixed methods to guide intervention development. Settings Six school districts in rural and urban areas of a southwestern state. Participants School nutrition staff (n = 36; female; 20 years' experience). Intervention Pre- and post-training assessments used the CRM. Findings from the pre-assessment were used to develop the pilot culinary training intervention. Main Outcome Measure Readiness to integrate new food preparation methods into existing practices. Analysis The researchers used t and Wilcoxon tests to compare overall readiness and dimension scores ( P  ≤ .05). Thematic analysis was used to identify themes from the discussion component of the assessments. Results Overall readiness increased from vague awareness to preparation ( P  = .02). Improved dimensions were knowledge of efforts ( P  = .004), leadership ( P  = .05), and knowledge of issues ( P  = .04). Themes included barriers, leadership, and motivation. Conclusions and Implications The CRM was useful for developing and evaluating a contextually appropriate and effective culinary training program for school nutrition staff. Future efforts should address the provision of additional resources such as on-site chefs, small equipment grants, and engaging school stakeholders.