Graduate student Pamela Mukaire discusses a project to help people in two Southern California communities reduce their risk of diseases related to diet and lifestyle, such as diabetes and hypertension through increased access to nutritious food and community gardening.

1. Growing a new lifestyle – one seed at a time
Pamela Mukaire –Loma Linda University/SPH
CCIH- June 2012

2. Adventists Health Study -2
The AHS- 2 USDA giveback project
Dr. Patti Herring:
“I promised we were not just going to
come into the community and take, take,
take data and then they wouldn’t hear
from us again. This was a way for us to
give back so we could improve their
health and quality of life.”

3. Community labs
Phase 1- Needs Assessment & Program
 Windshield survey (n=9)
 Key Informant Interviews
(n=18)
 Church Members
 Site Staff
 Community Members
 Confirmatory Focus Group
(n=2)
 15 Participants
Needs Assessment Results
 Lack of knowledge about diabetes & HBP
 Limited access to healthy food choices
 Lack of age appropriate venues for PE
 Lack of motivation to establish healthier
lifestyle habits & increased PE.

4. Confirmatory data
• 65% of adults SBC are overweight or obese adults
and 42% of all deaths in the County are due to
obesity-related causes.
• SB and Riverside counties house a large population of
low-income Latino/Hispanic and Black/African
Americans carrying a large disease burden of
cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension (HBP),
and type 2 diabetes.
• Limited access to nutritious foods, a safe environment
for outdoor activity, and a lack of knowledge & skills
about healthy living are major contributors

5. “We want gardens ….”
Community gardens have been recognized as a ideal way of
providing residents living in underserved areas with the opportunity
to grow their own fruits & vegetables, and thus
• Increase access & affordability,
• While increasing their physical activity
• Providing social networks and community strengthening

6. Setting goals
Project Goal
• This project aims to reduce, control and prevent the major
lifestyle-related diseases of obesity, diabetes, CVD, and HBP.
Project Objectives:
To increase:
• Healthy life-style knowledge,
• Access to nutritious fruits and vegetables,
• Confidence in planting and maintaining a garden,
• Physical activity, and
• Improve participants’ quality of life
Target Population
• Local churches
• CBOs serving the underserved
• Community members self-reporting having
diabetes, high blood pressure, weight issues,
and lack of health care access

7. Phase 2- Program Implementation
Gardening Cites
 4 community gardening locations [16th street,
Juniper, Perris, PAL Muscoy]
 with a total of 168 garden plots
 representing nearly 300 gardeners
 2 Container garden groups (n80)-
SACHS and LLU-Student gp
 GBGBC – 50 plots and 70 gardeners

8. Program Components
• Health education
• Health Screening Clinics
• Gardening (instruction and support)
• Cooking demonstrations
• Physical activity motivation

9. Education
Health education: – instruction for making positive lifestyle changes for
weight loss, lowering blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure
as needed.

10. Health appraisal
Health Screening Clinics - to assess hemoglobin A1C, full cholesterol
profile, kidney function, height, weight , body mass index (BMI)
and BP .

11. Community gardening
Gardening instruction and support - gardening workshop hands-on
help for starting and actively maintaining fruit and vegetable
gardens of their choice.
Materials development
TOT
Manual – cite preparation to food preservation

12. Easy meals from your own produce
Cooking demonstrations – sharing easy recipes and healthy food
choices

13. Lets move!
Physical activity motivation:
• Numbers of days/hrs in garden
• using pedometers and
• keeping walking activity logs

14. Challenges
• Land access
• Utility access
• Start-up costs
• Continuity
• Motivating sustainable growing practices

15. Lessons Learned
•Catering for the handicap
• Incorporate more local leadership and resources for community
involvement
• Hands-on demonstration is essential for new gardeners
• Team work is essential for long-term success

16. Community Gardening
Healthy
Food
Strong
Communities
Stress relief
Improved
Therapy
Diets
Fun &
Exercise
New
Skills cultivated