Co-designing Social Cognitive Theory–based guidelines for social media culinary interventions to enhance cooking self-efficacy and diet quality among Spanish college students

University students often experience significant lifestyle changes that negatively impact their dietary habits, increasing the risk of chronic diseases. In this context, culinary education, particularly interventions that build cooking self-efficacy, has emerged as a promising strategy to promote healthier dietary behaviors. However, structured, theory-informed, and culturally relevant guidelines for digital culinary interventions remain limited. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, this study aimed to document a participatory process and provide theory-informed guidelines for future social media–based culinary interventions developed with and for Spanish university students. We engaged 24 students, 3 culinary influencers, and 5 social marketing experts across three iterative phases: formative research using focus groups and the photovoice technique, four co-design workshops, and prototype testing. Inductive thematic analysis in NVivo was used. Findings revealed that most students had not received formal culinary training and had learned through unstructured observation or trial and error, often marked by low confidence. Although regularly exposed to food content on social media, they noted its predominantly entertaining nature. Students recognized its potential as a pedagogical space but emphasized that it must be intentionally leveraged to support skill-building and self-efficacy. To this end, participants recommended peer-led, emotionally engaging content that is relatable and tailored to their needs and barriers. Short, visually dynamic videos with affordable, convenient recipes and practical tips were preferred, particularly on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. A friendly, informal tone that normalizes mistakes was seen as essential for building trust and reducing fear of failure. The final prototype, four co-designed videos, was positively received and aligned with student expectations.

This project with reference 2024 FI-1 00212 is supported by the AGAUR-FI predoctoral program, Joan Oró grants, from the Secretariat of Universities and Research of the Department of Research and Universities of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the European Social Fund Plus.