Mad Dog Cooking Class Series: Effects on Dietary Self-efficacy, Eating

Treatment tested

• Mad Dog cooking class series

Other measures (3)

Spinal cord injury (SCI) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are both conditions characterized by chronic inflammation as indicated by elevated levels of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines. These cytokines can have a wide array of negative impacts such as increasing the risk of depression and the intensity and frequency of neuropathic pain. Recent work in the investigator's laboratory has shown that a 3-month anti-inflammatory diet is not only effective in reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, but also in reducing depression and neuropathic pain, by approximately 55% and 40%, respectively. However, a one-year follow-up study from the investigator's lab showed such adherence to be very challenging and therefore, strategies are required to address barriers to healthy eating in those with neurological disability. Accordingly, the investigators have developed a modified anti-inflammatory diet (Mad Dog diet) that is more palatable, less expensive and less demanding, as well as a 2-part pre-diet consultation that effectively increased self-efficacy for dietary adherence, and actual adherence one month post-consult. Still, participant feedback suggests that further efforts are needed to help ensure long term adherence to anti-inflammatory diets for those with neurological disability. As such, the investigators have developed the 6-week Mad Dog cooking series. This series consists of a once-weekly cooking class and educational session where a group of individuals with neuromuscular disability can come together to learn about the health benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet, receive instruction on how to cook selected anti-inflammatory recipes, and experiment with various pieces of accessible kitchen equipment that may increase their meal preparation skills. The purpose of this study is to test the 6-week Mad Dog cooking series in individuals with neuromuscular disability to gauge consumer satisfaction and make preliminary measures on self-efficacy for adhering to the Mad Dog anti-inflammatory diet, as well as actual adherence 6 months after the series has been completed. The investigators will also determine if the series has any effect on depressive symptoms.