Using realist approaches to understand nutrition education cooking interventions in Australia

This dissertation explores for whom and under what circumstances nutrition education cooking interventions produce outcomes. It uses an approach that analyses theories that inform these interventions, and developed new theories for how and why thesis programs work. It found that in order to improve nutrition education cooking intervention outcomes in marginalised populations, five key factors - facilitator trust, food literacy, therapeutic motivation, group connection, and involvement of the primary food preparer, are crucial conditions or triggers to achieving program success.