Multicentric evaluation of the online elective Culinary Medicine in the winter semester 2020/2021 and summer semester 2021

by Louisa Josefa Schonebeck
Doctoral thesis
Date of Examination:2025-11-25
Date of issue:2025-11-05
Advisor:PD Dr. Thomas Ellrott
Referee:PD Dr. Thomas Ellrott
Referee:Prof. Dr. Dr. Philipp Kanzow
Referee:Prof. Dr. Maike Hohberg
Persistent Address: http://dx.doi.org/10.53846/goediss-11586

 

 

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Abstract

English

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are one of the greatest challenges in modern medicine. NCDs include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic pulmonary diseases, and diabetes. All of these diseases are associated with four common risk factors: tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet and insufficient physical activity. Not only does nutrition play a major role in the development of many diseases, but nutrition can also be a therapeutic approach. Despite this important role of nutrition in medicine, it is clearly underrepresented in teaching. In order to strengthen the role of nutrition in medical teaching, some Culinary Medicine curricula are already being taught with great success, particularly in the USA. For this reason, a new CM curriculum based on the LEKuP was developed at the Universitätsmedizin Göttingen and taught for the first time in Göttingen, Brandenburg and Giessen in the summer semester 2020/2021. The aim of this study was to conduct a multicentre evaluation of the new Culinary Medicine teaching concept. The curriculum comprises seven modules, each with 4 teaching hours. The modules include a theoretical introduction and a subsequent practical cooking unit on the respective indications. Due to the pandemic, the course was conducted virtually. Five questionnaire dimensions were used to collect standardized data on consultation skills, attitudes towards nutritional medicine in everyday medical practice, nutritional knowledge, personal eating and cooking habits and the subjective well-being of participants (WHO-5) before and after the course. Students' counselling competences improved significantly (n= 70, p≤ 0.001). An increase in specialist knowledge and an improvement in well-being were also significant. Even when delivered virtually, the new Culinary Medicine teaching concept is an effective method of promoting medical students' specialist knowledge and practical advisory skills in nutrition-associated diseases. It is a first step towards improving the deficient integration of nutritional medicine into medical training.
Keywords: Culinary Medicine; Nutrition; Elective; Culinary Medicine Germany; Nutrition Therapy; Prevention; Nutritional Counseling Competence