Community Garden Activities for Fruits and Vegetable Consumption

Overseen By Elizabeth Taylor, BA

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Arkansas

Disqualifiers: Not living within 1 mile

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 8

138 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if participating in community garden activities can increase fruit and vegetable consumption and improve access to healthy food for adults. Participants will begin these garden sessions either immediately or after a short delay. The activities include gardening, cooking demonstrations, and social events to promote healthy eating. Individuals living within a mile of a participating garden, who speak English, and currently experience food insecurity (difficulty obtaining enough food) are encouraged to join.

As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to engage in community activities that may enhance diet and food access.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems unlikely that you would need to stop, as the trial focuses on community gardening and diet.

What prior data suggests that community garden activities are safe for participants?

Research shows that participating in community gardening is generally safe. A recent national study found that people with home gardens are more likely to eat the recommended amount of vegetables, suggesting health benefits without safety concerns.

Other studies indicate that community gardening can lead to increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and can improve community connections and mental well-being. These studies mainly highlight dietary and social benefits and do not report any major negative effects.

For those considering joining a community gardening trial, research suggests these activities are safe and offer several health benefits. Studies have not reported any serious safety issues. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about using community garden activities to boost fruit and vegetable consumption because this approach is unique in its holistic engagement of participants. Unlike traditional methods such as dietary counseling or supplement prescriptions, this intervention combines hands-on gardening with educational resources, healthy cooking demos, and social activities. This multifaceted strategy not only promotes healthier eating habits but also encourages community building and active participation, which could lead to more sustainable lifestyle changes.

What evidence suggests that community garden activities are effective for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption?

Research has shown that community gardening can increase fruit and vegetable consumption. In one study, about half of the participants reported eating more fruits and vegetables due to their involvement in a garden. This trial will compare two groups: one receiving an 8-week garden intervention and another with a delayed intervention. Community gardens have been linked to higher fiber intake and improved diets across all age groups. Participants in gardening programs often notice an increase in their daily fruit and vegetable consumption. Although the strength of the evidence varies, the overall trend suggests that joining a community garden can lead to healthier eating habits. ^{1 2 5 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Pebbles Fagan, PhD, MPH

Principal Investigator

UAMS

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults aged 18-85 living within a mile of participating community gardens in low resource and African American communities in Arkansas. Participants must be food insecure, willing to volunteer at the garden, complete surveys, and have not volunteered there before. They should also participate in SNAP, National School Program, WIC or earn less than $25,000 per year.

Inclusion Criteria

Live in community within 1 mile radius of a participating garden

Working phone, home address, and email

Speak English

Exclusion Criteria

Does not live within 1 mile radius of a participating garden

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants engage in an 8-week community garden intervention including volunteering, social activities, cooking demonstrations, and educational sessions

8 weeks

Weekly visits to the garden

Delayed Intervention

Control group receives the same 8-week intervention one month after the initial intervention group

8 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in fruit and vegetable intake and access to healthy foods

6 months

Surveys at 8 weeks and 6 months post-intervention

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Community Garden Activities

Trial Overview The study tests if working in community gardens affects how much fruits and vegetables people eat and their access to healthy foods. Half the gardens will start activities like gardening volunteering, social events, cooking demos immediately; the other half later on as a control group.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Garden intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The gardens in the intervention group will receive an 8-week intervention that includes 1) educational materials, 2) healthy cooking demonstrations, food and transportation support and 3) garden social activities.

Group II: Delayed intervention Active Control 1 Intervention

The control group will be asked to abstain from intervention activities during the 8 week period. The control group will receive the delayed 8-week intervention one month after the intervention group.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Arkansas

Lead Sponsor

Trials

500

Recruited

153,000+

University of Hawaii Cancer Research Center

Collaborator

Trials

11

Recruited

2,100+

Coalition for a Tobacco Free Arkansas

Collaborator

Trials

3

Recruited

640+

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Collaborator

Trials

3,987

Recruited

47,860,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10196338/

Community Gardening Increases Vegetable Intake and ... About 50% of the qualitative study participants reported eating more fruits and/or vegetables because of their garden, 8 participants reported increasing the ...

2. bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-13591-1

Community gardens and their effects on diet, health ... Community gardening was associated with higher fruit and vegetable intake, positive psychosocial and community outcomes, but poor evidence quality

3. jandonline.org jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(17)31407-7/fulltext

Gardening Experience Is Associated with Increased Fruit ... Gardening interventions have been shown to increase fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake among school-aged children. It is unknown whether these effects persist ...

4. countyhealthrankings.org countyhealthrankings.org/strategies-and-solutions/what-works-for-health/strategies/community-gardens

Community gardens Community gardening can increase fiber intake and daily fruit and vegetable consumption for adults, teenagers, and children. Compared with non- ...

5. stacks.cdc.gov stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/164248/cdc_164248_DS1.pdf

Nutrition: Gardening Interventions to Increase Fruit They reported greater increases in fruit and vegetable consumption than gardening interventions alone (7 studies). The median intervention duration was four ...

6. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1499404606008542

Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Urban Community ... Adults with a community garden member consumed 1.4 more fruits/vegetables daily, and 3.5 times more likely to consume 5+ daily, averaging 4.4 times daily.

7. nccommunitygardens.ces.ncsu.edu nccommunitygardens.ces.ncsu.edu/resources-3/nccommunitygardens-research/

Research & Benefits of Community Gardens - NC State Community gardeners consumed fruits and vegetables 5.7 times per day, compared with home gardeners (4.6 times per day) and nongardeners (3.9 times per day).