Health Benefits of School and Community Gardens

1. Health Benefits of School
and Community Gardens
Angela O’Callaghan, Ph.D.
Assoc. Professor
Area Extension Specialist
Social Horticulture
702-257-5581

2. Goals of this presentation
1. Identify the health impact of chronic
disease in Southern Nevada
2. Describe how good nutrition and
physical activity can prevent chronic
disease
3. Describe how a school or community
gardening project can improve nutrition
and physical activity
4. How to plan, implement and evaluate a
gardening project
5. Local resources for school and
community gardens

3. Why are you here?
• Desperate for another meeting?
• Dying to know more about gardening
in the desert southwest?
• Need ceus?
• Hoping for a free lunch?

4. % of Total Deaths (Nevada)
• Heart disease 26.6
• Chronic lower respiratory disease 5.6
• Diabetes mellitus 1.6
• Atherosclerosis 0.7
1

5. Chronic Disease in So. Nevada
Chronic diseases are leading causes of
diminished quality of life in Clark
County
In particular:
– Cardiovascular disease
– Cancer
– Diabetes
1

6. Diabetes in Clark County
• 8.8% of adults (>20 years old)
• Highest rate in Nevada
1

7. Increasing Diabetes in NV
1

8. Obesity among Clark County
adults
24.5%
almost one out of every 4
adults in Clark County is
obese (BMI > 30 kg/m)
1

9. Obesity in Youth (Nevada)
in 2007
• 11% of high school students were
categorized as OBESE.
• 54% of high school students did not meet
recommended levels of physical activity
Changes in 2008
• Fewer exemptions from Phys. Ed. Classes
• More nutritious selections of food, snacks and
beverages
• Less advertising of unhealthy snacks 1

10. Health effects of plants
• Ulrich, 1984
• Horticulture Therapy
• Healing Gardens

12. Physical activity
Reduces risks involved with
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Hypertension
By lowering weight and blood sugar
levels (among other things)
2

13. American Heart Association
news release
• “Diet and exercise can prevent or slow the
development of type 2 diabetes and produce
clinically significant improvements in blood
sugar control and cardiovascular risk factors
in people with the condition, according to
the statement. This benefit can reduce or
eliminate some patients’ needs for
medications to control risk factors. “
• http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/CIRCU
LATIONAHA.109.192521 (full text of
statement) 2

14. Horticulture - art and science of growing
flowers, fruits, vegetables, trees & shrubs
development of minds and emotions
of individuals, enrichment & health of
communities and integration of `garden' in the
breadth of modern civilization.
•PLANTS and products (food, medicine, O2)
essential for human survival; &
•PEOPLE, whose involvement with `the
garden' brings about benefits to them as
individuals and to communities and cultures
they comprise.
2

15. 2

16. Gardening is listed as one of five
ways older adults can be more
physically active
National Diabetes Education
Program
http://ndep.nih.gov/media/five-ways-older-adults-
active.pdf?redirect=true
2

17. February 1, 2002 Table of Contents
Promoting and Prescribing Exercise for
the Elderly
Lists gardening as one element of an
active lifestyle.
2

18. Good reference
“Community Gardens Help to Tackle
Obesity”
– Parliament of Australia
– House of Representaties
– Standing Committee on Health and Ageing
– Inquiry into Obesity in Australia

19. 2

20. Direct benefits
• Many commonly grown garden
vegetables are high in phytochemicals.
• Research indicates these plant
chemicals have beneficial effects
against inflammation, oxidative stress,
cancer and cardiovascular disease.
• Vegetables include:
Onions, garlic, berries, soy, celery, and
carrots.
3

21. “Incorporationof herbs into everyday
meals may be beneficial, as a diet in
which culinary herbs are used
generously provides a variety of active
phytochemicals that could promote
good health…”
2

22. An edible garden…
Nutrients in Plant Foods

23. Vegetables Calories Sodium Potassium Carbo- Fiber Sugar Protein Vit. A Vit. C Calcium
Serving Size hydrate s
(mg) (mg) (g) (g) (g) (g) (%DV) (%DV) (%DV)
Bell Pepper 25 40 220 6 2 4 1 4 190 2
1 medium
Broccoli 45 80 460 8 3 2 4 6 220 6
1 medium stalk
Carrot 30 60 250 7 2 5 1 110 10 2
1 carrot, 7"l, 1
1/4"d
Celery 15 115 260 4 2 2 0 10 15 4
2 medium stalks
Cucumber 10 0 140 2 1 1 1 4 10 2
1/3 medium
Green Beans 20 0 200 5 3 2 1 4 10 4
3/4 cup cut
Green Cabbage 25 20 190 5 2 3 1 0 70 4
1/12 med. head
Leaf Lettuce 15 35 170 2 1 1 1 130 6 2
1 1/2 cups
Onion 45 5 190 11 3 9 1 0 20 4
1 medium
Potato 110 0 620 26 2 1 3 0 45 2
1 medium
Radishes 10 55 190 3 1 2 0 0 30 2
7 radishes
Summer Squash 20 0 260 4 2 2 1 6 30 2
1/2 medium
Sweet Corn 90 0 250 18 2 5 4 2 10 0
kernels from 1
medium ear
Sweet Potato 100 70 440 23 4 7 2 120 30 4
1 medium, 5"
long, 2"
diameter
Tomato 25 20 340 5 1 3 1 20 40 2
1 medium

24. Community gardens
• Growing foods
• Improving neighborhoods
• Provide satisfying labor
• Cultural traditions
Hanna and Oh, 2000
3

25. What foods from where?
University of Texas Online Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection

26. 1989 survey of NJ gardeners
Socioeconomic benefits of gardening
Benefit Percent
Life quality
Fresh food/vegetables 44.4%
Improved diet 35.2
Personal satisfaction and enjoyment 26.0
Economic well-being
Saved money 33.5
Social well-being
Socializing 31.3
Helping others 29.0
Sharing the produce with others 14.5
Feeling of self-sufficiency 13.8
Improved neighborhood 13.0
Patel, 1991

27. Community Gardening
• Group of people comes together to
create a garden
• Usually a vegetable garden with a few
ornamental plants
• May have policies and procedures for
– Selection of gardeners
– $$$
– Standards of behavior
– Replacing gardeners
3

28. Participants May Include
• Elderly, either able
bodied or infirm
• Youth
• Low income
• Middle class
3

29. Increased vegetable intake
• A survey of 776 adults in a US city
found that when a household member
participated in a community garden,
other adults in the house were more
likely to consume fresh fruits and
vegetables – 3.5 times as likely to
consume the recommended 5 a day.
• Alaimo et al 2008

30. Gardening as Physical Activity
• Once people become gardeners, they
spend time and energy doing it!
• Park et al (HortTechnology October-
December 2008): Can older gardeners
meet the physical activity
recommendation through gardening?
• Average gardening time = 60 min
• Average heart rate = 98
• Oxygen uptake = 13.5 ml/kg/min
3

31. Benefiting well-being
• A sense of control over one’s
environment is often predictive of
good health and higher quality of life
among the elderly.
3

32. Horticulture training for elderly adults
in assisted living
(Las Vegas research)
•18 students
•Age range from 75 – 102
•16 women; 2 men
•Mean – 85 years
•All required either walker or wheelchair
•Had demonstrated little/no interest in
other programs
3

33. Experimental design
•Four week course
•After lunch
•Each student received plants, pots,
seedlings/seeds
•Students were interviewed concerning
their sense of mastery of their
environment pre and post class (n = 18),
and five months after end of class (n = 8)
3

34. Course Outline
–Week 1 – staff describes class, interview
students concerning personal history, mastery
heath and happiness; students describe their
apartments, their plant wishes, and gardening
history
–Week 2 – students receive plants and pots &
instruction on maintenance
–Week 3 – students receive seeds or seedlings
and instruction; offer assistance to others
–Week 4 – students evaluate their plants; staff
re-interviews
3

35. 3

36. Mastery of environment
Students responded to statements:
1. What happens to me in the future mostly depends on me....
2. Sometimes I feel that I am being pushed around in life.....
3. I have little control over the things that happen to me......
4. There is really no way I can solve some of the problems I have....
5. There is little I can do to change many of the important things in
my life....
6. I often feel helpless in dealing with the problems of life........
7. I can do just about anything I really set my mind to do.....
3

37. Self reports
•Students were asked how they viewed
their overall health on a 1 (very poor ) –
5 (perfect) scale
•Students were asked to report on their
happiness from 1 (very unhappy) to 5
(very happy)
3

38. Results elements of Mastery (t1—t2)
Significant improvement between pre-
course survey and post (last day) for
Questions
1 (future depends on me) p = 0.042
2 (feel pushed around) p = 0.023
5 (little to change life) p = 0.042
6 (feel helpless) p = 0.028
7 (can do anything set mind to) p = 0.001
3

39. Results elements of Mastery (t1—t3)
Significant improvement between pre-
course survey and five months after for
Questions
2 (feel pushed around) p=0.007
3 (have little control) p=0.038
5 (little to change life) p=0.068
6 (feel helpless) p=0.026
7 (can do anything set mind to) p=0.011
3

40. Results Self reported Health
Significant improvements:
•Pre (t1) to post (t2) p = 0.001
•Pre (t1) to 5 mos after (t3) p = 0.005
•Post (t2) to 5 mos after (t3) p = 0.02
3

41. Results - Self reported happiness
Significant improvement
•Pre (t1) - post (t2) p = 0.042
•Pre (t1) - 5 mos after (t3) p = 0.033
•Post (t2) - 5 mos after (t3) p = 0.08
3

42. Alzheimer’s and gardens
• “Treatment gardens for people with
Alzheimer’s disease…an accessible positive
outdoor environment that supports
individual treatment goals with measurable
positive outcomes on resident behavior,
mood, depression, social interaction, sleeping
patterns, awareness, orientation, spatial
negoriation and active engagement in
activities.” (Tyson, Alzheimer’s care quarterly,
2002; 3(1): 55-60.)
• http://www.alzinfo.org/alzheimers-treatment-
therapeutic-gardens.asp 3

43. Public Safety
Although a study of community gardens
in Houston TX showed no decrease in
crime with community gardens -
“representatives showed that community
gardens appeared to have a positive
influence on neighborhoods, with
residents reporting neighborhood
revitalization, perceived immunity from
crime, and neighbors emulating
gardening practices they saw at the
community gardens”
http://horttech.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstr
3

44. “Food for Thoughts”
School Gardens

45. School gardens
• Can be used to teach a range of
subjects, from health and nutrition, to
genetics and other physical sciences, to
math and social sciences.
• Can improve children’s attitudes toward
vegetables and unfamiliar foods.
• Can provide a site for children to get
active
• Challenge children to be stewards of
their environment.

46. School Gardens
Before you start…
Creating a school garden
requires a fair amount of
planning

47. Planning
• Make sure that a significant
proportion of the school – parents,
students, teachers, administration –
agrees that a school garden is
something they want.
• The Principal must be invested in
having a garden.

48. What do you want?
• Will this be a
–Vegetable garden?
–A flower garden?
–A Native American garden?
–A desert plant garden?
Each of these can be used to teach,
but each has very different
requirements.

49. A garden building plan
• Who will build the garden?
– Volunteers?
– Teachers?
– Parents?
– Students?
• Raised beds and planters are often the
easiest to set up and use.
• Use little or no grass in a school garden

50. A maintenance plan
Who will do the work of making sure the
garden survives (watering, weeding, etc.)?
– Volunteers?
– Teachers?
– Parents?
– Students?
– How about during school breaks?

51. A funding plan
• School gardens are self-funded.
• Where will the money come from
for plants, fertilizers, equipment?
– Grants?
– Fundraisers?
– Donations?

52. A curriculum plan
• How will this garden be integrated into
the rest of the curriculum?
• Staff at CCSD will help to review garden
based curricula, but the responsibility
for development falls to the school
(teachers and administrators).

53. What is most important role of
a school garden?
% parents % teachers
Growing fruit and 74.7 54.1
vegetables for food
Socializing with 4.5 16.4
gardening friends
Feeling relaxed and safe 10.6 4.9
in plant environment
Learning about plants 9.7 24.6
Other 0.5 0.0
Waliczek et al. 2000

54. Essentials for success
Item % respondents
Responsible person 63
Garden site 61.4
Funding 60.6
Support of principal 48
Gardening equipment 47.7
DeMarco, et al. 1999

55. Garden-based health & nutrition
• Grades 2 – 5
• Knowledge increase re: nutritional
value of vegetables
• No greater stated acceptance
• Increase in eating vegetables as snacks!
Koch et al. 2006

56. Youth farm market project
Inner city project in Minneapolis/St. Paul
Youth (preteens and teens) who grew
vegetables ate them.
“…exposure to a garden-based nutrition
education programs (sic) improves
youth’s preference for vegetables
compared to those not exposed to a
garden program. “

57. Contact Karyn Johnson 257-5523
• http://www.unce.unr.edu/programs/sit
es/foodforthoughts/

58. Creating a garden (school,
community, other)

59. Interested in creating a community
garden?
• UNCE works with communities that are
establishing gardens
• Provide classroom training
• Guidelines for actual building
• Ongoing support for physical plant

60. A CITY CAN BE
TRANSFORMED

61. Contact Elaine Fagin 257-5573

62. COMMUNITY GARDENS
ARE NOT A NEW IDEA
Xochimilco
ancient floating gardens
of Mexico City

63. WHAT IS NEEDED TO GET STARTED
1. A small committed group.
2. A shared vision.
3. PATIENCE to get through rocky times.
4. The physical space.
5. Access to physical labor.
6. A LITTLE CASH DOESN’T HURT.

64. Before starting, answer the
following
• Easy access to water?
• How many hours of sunlight does
the area receive?
• From what direction is the light?
• What is the level of time, strength &
interest?

65. If landscaping is in place…
• Know what you will encounter when
you begin to dig (wires, pipes, etc.).
• Identify the potential workload –
chemical, physical, botanical – that will
be required to remove existing
materials (e.g. lawn, concrete).
• Identify what of the existing materials
will be replaced.
• Identify which of the existing materials
will be retained.

66. What do you want to achieve?
A garden is more than the plants; it
requires irrigation, time and more. For
instance…
• Are you gardening for food or view?
• How big will the mature plants get?
• Do you really want a 50 foot ash tree in
the courtyard?
• Native desert plants tend to be smaller
and slower-growing.

67. Gardening in the Mojave
• Not quite like other parts of the
world
• Driest desert in North America
• Average annual rainfall 4.25”
• Salty soil; this area was once an
ocean
– Water left
– Salt didn’t
• Strong dry winds
• Intense sunlight

68. Gardens in “Raised Beds”

69. Container gardening
• Effective for very small places
• Maximum control of planting
• More manageability
• Wide variety of possible planters

72. Unusual edibles
There is a surprising variety of
desert plants, some more appropriate for
certain gardens than others.

74. Income can be a factor
Low income gardeners often cite
access to fresh foods
enjoy nature, but also
Organizational efforts for garden “spill
over” into other neighborhood efforts

75. Community gardens in the
Las Vegas area
• Archie C. Grant senior housing
development. A garden area had been
abandoned for ~ 5 years. Residents and
city staff decided to resurrect this
garden.

78. Work days

79. Now a community focus

80. With produce!

81. Rose Garden
• A housing development for low income
seniors/disabled in North Las Vegas.
• UNCE had given a brief course on
gardening at this site in 2007
• In 2009 residents and staff wanted
another course with a hands-on
component
• City staff arranged for a community
garden to be built.

82. Preparation
• Residents grew
their own
seedlings indoors
• Originally 12
participants
• Dropped to 8
during the winter

84. Started small

85. • At first,
gardeners
were afraid
that non-
gardeners
would steal
their hard
work.
• By January,
they saw that
they needed
to give some
away!

86. Now, that is a
radish!

87. Las Vegas Community Garden
• Began in the mid-1990s in West LV
• 32 raised beds
• Joint project of UNCE master gardeners
and the Doolittle Senior Center (LV
parks and rec.)
• Elderly gardeners raise enough produce
to contribute hundreds of pounds of
produce to hungry people each year.

90. Current situation
• More effort was going into developing
gardens in low income areas
• New projects:
– Floyd Lamb park
– Acacia park

91. Evaluating effectiveness
Several means
• Self reported effects (surveys)
• Physical differences (BP, weight, bmi)
• Increase in amount of vegetables eaten
(journals, etc. )

92. Measurements
• Information – knowledge gain
• Behavior changes
• Attitudinal changes

93. No guarantees…
Meta-analysis of 11 studies found little
consistency among results, but did note
A general increase in willingness to try
eating vegetables, even as snacks.
A general lack of improvement in food
preferences.
Robinson-O’Brien, et al 2009

94. Gardening Class
• Gardening in Small Places Feb. 27
• Beginning class: 8am – noon
• Advanced class: 1pm - 5

95. Resources – fact sheets
• http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/
files/ho/2001/sp0115.pdf
• http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/
files/ho/2004/fs0472.pdf
• http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/
files/ho/2002/fs0261.pdf
• http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/
files/ho/2000/sp0026.pdf

96. References
• Lautenschlager, Lauren and Chery Smith. Beliefs, knowledge,
and values held by inner-city youth about gardening,
nutrition, and cooking. Agriculture and Human Values. 24(2):
245-258
• Relf, Diane . HUMAN ISSUES IN HORTICULTURE.
HortTechnology April/June 1992 2(2)
• Collins, Claudia and Angela O’Callaghan. The Impact of
Horticultural Responsibility on Health Indicators and Quality
of Life in Assisted Living. HortTechnology. Oct-Dec 2008.
• Waliczek, T.M., J.C. Bradley, R.D. Lineberger, & J.M. Zajicek.
2000. Using a Web-based Survey to Research the Benefits of
Children Gardening. HortTechnology Jan-Mar. 10(1)
• DeMarco, L.W. Diane Relf, Alan McDaniel. 1999. Integrating
Gardening into the Elementary School Curriculum.
HortTechnology: April-June 9(2)

97. References cont.
•Patel, I.C. 1991. Gardening's Socioeconomic Impacts.
Journal of Extension. 29(4)
•Koch, S., T.M. Waliczek, J.M. Zajicek. 2006. The effect of a
summer garden program on the nutritional knowledge,
attitudes and behaviors of children. HortTechnology Oct-
Dec. 2006.
•Robinson-O’Brien, R., Mary Story, Stephanie Heim. 2009.
Impact of Garden-Based Youth Nutrition Intervention
Programs: a review. J. Am. Dietetic Assn.
•Hanna, Autumn K. and Pikai Oh. 2000. Rethinking Urban
Poverty: A Look at Community Gardens. Bulletin of Science,
Technology & Society, 2000 20; 207.
•Alaimo, K., E. Packnett, R.A. Miles, D.J.Kruger 2008. Fruit
and vegetable intake among Urban Community
Gardeners.J Nutrit. Ed. And Behav. 40 (2): 94-101