Feasibility pilot study of a Japanese teaching kitchen program

Megu Y Baden; Sarasa Kato; Akiko Niki; Tomoyuki Hara; Harutoshi Ozawa; Chisaki Ishibashi; Yoshiya Hosokawa; Yukari Fujita; Yuya Fujishima; Hitoshi Nishizawa; Junji Kozawa; Isao Muraki; Yusuke Furuya; Akio Yonekura; Tatsuro Shigyo; Taro Kawabe; Iichiro Shimomura; David M Eisenberg

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1258434

Feasibility pilot study of a Japanese teaching kitchen program

Front Public Health. 2023 Dec 7:11:1258434. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1258434. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Megu Y Baden^{1

2}, Sarasa Kato¹, Akiko Niki¹, Tomoyuki Hara¹, Harutoshi Ozawa^{1

2}, Chisaki Ishibashi¹, Yoshiya Hosokawa¹, Yukari Fujita¹, Yuya Fujishima¹, Hitoshi Nishizawa¹, Junji Kozawa^{1

3}, Isao Muraki⁴, Yusuke Furuya⁵, Akio Yonekura⁵, Tatsuro Shigyo⁶, Taro Kawabe⁶, Iichiro Shimomura¹, David M Eisenberg⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Metabolic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
² Department of Lifestyle Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
³ Department of Diabetes Care Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
⁴ Division of Public Health, Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
⁵ Cancerscan, Inc, Tokyo, Japan.
⁶ Kubara Honke Group Co., Ltd, Fukuoka, Japan.
⁷ Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.

Abstract

Background: This pilot study examined the feasibility of a new lifestyle modification program involving a "Teaching Kitchen" in Japan. Our goal was to explore (1) feasibility of the program; (2) acceptability for class frequency (weekly vs. bi-weekly); and (3) changes in biometrics, dietary intakes, and lifestyle factors.

Methods: A total of 24 employees with obesity in a Japanese company were recruited. Participants were randomly divided into two groups (weekly or bi-weekly group), each attending the program consisting of four two-hour classes (lectures on nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, and culinary instructions). Participants were observed for changes in dietary intakes, biometrics, and health related quality of life over the subsequent 3 months. We tested the between-group differences in changes using linear mixed-effect models.

Results: The program completion rates were 83.3% in total (91.7% for weekly group and 75.0% for bi-weekly group). From baseline to post-intervention, significant decreases were observed in weight (p < 0.001), body mass index (p < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.03), body fat mass (p < 0.001), and dietary intakes in total fat (p = 0.03) and sodium (p = 0.008) among 17 participants who were available for measurements. Improvements in biometrics remained significant 1 month after the intervention (all p ≤ 0.03 in 14 participants). Participants' health related quality of life was significantly improved in bodily pain, general health, vitality, and mental component score (all p ≤ 0.047).

Conclusions: The new Japanese Teaching Kitchen program is feasible with high program completion rates in Japanese office workers with obesity. While this was a small feasibility study, significant multiple improvements in dietary intakes, biometrics, and health related quality of life suggest that this line of inquiry warrants further exploration to address obesity and obesity-related diseases in Japan.

Keywords: behavior modification program; diet; lifestyle modification; obesity; teaching kitchen.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Feasibility Studies
Humans
Japan
Obesity* / prevention & control
Pilot Projects
Quality of Life*

Grants and funding

The authors declare that this study received funding from Cancerscan Inc and Kubara Honke Group Co., Ltd. The funders had the following involvement in the study: creation of the web application (Cancerscan Inc) and support of the culinary component (Kubara Honke Group Co., Ltd). The funders were not involved in the study design, analysis and interpretation of data, or the decision to submit it for publication.