i-REBOUND Cook Well After Stroke: Co-Designing a Culinary Nutrition Programme for Australian Stroke Survivors

Stroke is a life-altering event for survivors. While improving diet quality is associated with reduced stroke risk, the post-stroke effects often make meal preparation difficult. There is a lack of published research on culinary nutrition programmes tailored to stroke survivors' recovery journey. This study outlines the co-design process of a culinary nutrition programme aimed at promoting the uptake of a Mediterranean-style diet for people who have had a stroke.

Utilising the Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT) framework, exploratory interviews and focus groups were conducted with an IKT team comprising six multidisciplinary researchers and three lived experience research partners. A further six stroke survivors and seven stroke clinicians participated in focus groups as end-users.

The resulting intervention prototype, titled Cook Well After Stroke, includes a recipe book supplemented with additional programme elements. The IKT team identified critical gaps in current stroke care, particularly during the transition from hospital rehabilitation to home, and key components for the Cook Well After Stroke Programme, including intervention name, overarching principles, recipe guidelines and supporting resources. The recipe book was iteratively developed with stroke survivors, incorporating feedback and suggestions for improvement into the final prototype.

This study represents an innovative project to develop a Cook Well After Stroke Programme tailored specifically for Australian stroke survivors, which may contribute to secondary stroke prevention strategies. This project has developed a prototype and identified additional elements required for the further advancement and completion of the Cook Well After Stroke Programme. Further research is needed to adapt the intervention prototype for a more diverse range of stroke survivors and to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and accessibility of this co-designed programme.