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Is there a relationship between culinary skills and overweight/ obesity across life stages? A systematic review
Rafaela Nogueira Gomes de Morais1, Guilherme José Silva Ribeiro1, Juliana Faria de Novaes1
1Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Introduction:
Obesity is a public health problem that affects millions of people worldwide, but its relationship with culinary skills has not yet been elucidated. This systematic review investigated the relationship between culinary skills and the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents, adults, and older adults. We hypothesize that low cooking skills are associated with a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity across different life stages.
Methods:
We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases from July to August 2024. The risk of bias assessment was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tools.
Results:
Five studies (three cross-sectional and two cohort) were included, totaling 53,557 subjects from Brazil, Italy, Canada, Japan, and France. The studies used body mass index or waist circumference to assess overweight and obesity. Culinary skills were evaluated using various non-standardized questionnaires covering knowledge, culinary techniques, cooking frequency, and ingredients used. One cohort study reported a negative association between culinary skills and overweight/obesity in adults. Conversely, two cross-sectional and cohort studies identified a positive association among adolescents and adults.
Conclusions:
The relationship between culinary skills and overweight/obesity remains inconclusive across the studies. We encourage future research to understand this relationship across different life stages better and to validate appropriate tools for evaluating culinary skills.
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