Association between community garden participation and fruit and vegetable consumption in rural Missouri

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act
• Personal Author:
  Barnidge, Ellen K ; Hipp, Pamela R ; Estlund, Amy ; Duggan, Kathleen ; Barnhart, Kathryn J ; Brownson, Ross C
• Description:
  Background
  
  Fruit and vegetable consumption reduces chronic disease risk, yet the majority of Americans consume fewer than recommended. Inadequate access to fruits and vegetables is increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to low consumption of healthy foods. Emerging evidence shows the effectiveness of community gardens in increasing access to, and consumption of, fruits and vegetables.
  
  Methods
  
  Two complementary studies explored the association of community garden participation and fruit and vegetable consumption in rural communities in Missouri. The first was with a convenience sample of participants in a rural community garden intervention who completed self-administered surveys. The second was a population-based survey conducted with a random sample of 1,000 residents in the intervention catchment area.
  
  Results
  
  Participation in a community garden was associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption. The first study found that individuals who worked in a community garden at least once a week were more likely to report eating fruits and vegetables because of their community garden work (X2 (125) = 7.78, p = .0088). Population-based survey results show that 5% of rural residents reported participating in a community garden. Those who reported community garden participation were more likely to report eating fruits 2 or more times per day and vegetables 3 or more times per day than those who did not report community garden participation, even after adjusting for covariates (Odds Ratio OR = 2.76, 95% Confidence Interval CI = 1.35 to 5.65).
  
  Conclusion
  
  These complementary studies provide evidence that community gardens are a promising strategy for promoting fruit and vegetable consumption in rural communities.
• Subjects:
  • Research
  • Community gardens
  • Nutrition
  • Rural population
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Fruit
  More +
• Source:
  Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2013; 10:128.
• Pubmed ID:
  24252563
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC4225496
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  P30 DK092950/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; U48/DP001903/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States
• Volume:
  10
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/32129/cdc_32129_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 194.02 KB]
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:bd1782014735c8c2d30c3593871039d5ce66c1ec9780ef8d76108b31e1ff649d