Abstract

More frequent consumption of home-cooked meals is associated with better diet quality, and food literacy questionnaires may be able to identify factors that influence cooking frequency. Eating and Food Literacy Behaviors Questionnaire (EFLBQ) factor scores and demographic characteristics were examined as predictors of home cooking in a group of women aged 18 to 30 years. Participants were recruited by a third-party provider. EFLBQ factor scores (F1: health and nutrition, F2: taste, F3: food preparation, F4: planning and decision making, and F5: convenience), demographic characteristics, and frequency of cooking were measured. Groups were compared using ANOVA and Games–Howell post hoc tests. Pearson’s r or point-biserial tests were used to examine relationships between variables. Significant predictors were entered into a structural equation model (SEM) to predict home cooking frequency. A total of 107 Asian, 113 Black, 108 Hispanic, and 111 White women participated. The F1 factor score (health and nutrition) was a positive mediator between age and cooking frequency, and the F5 score (convenience) was independently and negatively correlated with how often the women cooked. Nutrition educators should address these EFLBQ factor topics in interventions and use these factor scores to measure changes in participants’ behaviors after they participate in educational programs that promote cooking.

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