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Behavior, Psychology and Sociology

The relationship between food and cooking skills, and eating behaviors in people with overweight or obesity

International Journal of Obesity volume 47, pages 60–66 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Background

In the present study, the authors aimed to determine food skills and cooking skills, and eating behaviors, and to evaluate the relationship between food skills and cooking skills, and eating behaviors in people with overweight or obesity.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 185 people with overweight or obesity. The researchers collected the study data using the face-to-face interview method through a questionnaire including the Descriptive Information Form, Cooking Skills and Food Skills Scale, and Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R21. Numbers, percentages, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Student’s t-test, Pearson Chi-Square test, and multiple linear regression analysis were used in the analysis of the data.

Results

The mean scores of the individuals obtained from the overall Cooking Skills and Food Skills Scale, and cooking skills, food skills, uncontrolled eating, cognitive restraint, and emotional eating sub-dimensions were 148.17 ± 52.20, 70.45 ± 27.48, 77.84 ± 28.90, 43.90 ± 22.74, 36.95 ± 23.93, and 38.94 ± 29.17 respectively. Multiple linear regression was fitted to determine the association between food skills and cooking skills and eating behaviors while adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. Food skills and cooking skills were positively associated with uncontrolled eating (β = 0.213, p = 0.030), cognitive restraint (β = 0.245, p = 0.009), and emotional eating behaviors (β = 0.338, p = 0.001).

Conclusion

In people with overweight or obesity, cognitive restraint and emotional eating behaviors improve as their food preparation and cooking skills improve. Therefore, education and public health practices on eating awareness, food skills, and cooking skills can play an important role in bringing healthy behavior change into practice in society.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, SA, upon reasonable request.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University, Balikesir, 10200, Turkey

    Sedat Arslan, Kevser Tari Selcuk, Nursel Sahin & Ramazan Mert Atan

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  1. Sedat Arslan
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  2. Kevser Tari Selcuk
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  3. Nursel Sahin
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Contributions

SA was responsible for designing the review protocol, writing the protocol and report, conducting the search, screening potentially eligible studies, extracting and analyzing data, interpreting results, creating’ Summary of findings’ tables, and providing feedback on the report. KTS was responsible for designing the review protocol, extracting and analyzing data, interpreting results, creating’ Summary of findings’ tables, and providing feedback on the report. NS was responsible for designing the review protocol and screening potentially eligible studies, writing the report, extracting and analyzing data, interpreting results and creating’ Summary of findings’ tables, and updating reference lists. RMA contributed to the design of the review protocol, conducting the search, analyzing data, writing the report, interpreting results, and providing feedback on the report.

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Correspondence to Sedat Arslan.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical approval

Before the study was conducted, approval was obtained from the Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University Health Sciences Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee (decision date: January 24, 2022, decision number: 2021-80). The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Arslan, S., Tari Selcuk, K., Sahin, N. et al. The relationship between food and cooking skills, and eating behaviors in people with overweight or obesity. Int J Obes 47, 60–66 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-022-01238-5

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