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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jose O. Arrom, MA¹, Dinah Ramirez, RN², and Aida Giachello, PhD¹. (1) Midwest Latino Health Research, Training, and Policy Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1640 W. Roosevelt Rd. 636, Chicago, IL 60608, 312-413-1836, josarrom@uic.edu, (2) Healthy South Chicago Coalition, 8419 S. Brandon, Chicago, IL 60617

Purpose. Community gardening has the potential to improve community health by increasing seasonal physical activity, vegetable consumption, and impact quality of life. Local assessments found few adequate fruit and vegetable outlets and low consumption and high obesity prevalence. We expect that youth disposition toward vegetable consumption may increase since they grow and eat their own food. Communities may increase self-reliance in meeting its food needs and sustaining community and home gardening. Study Design. The Garden of Hope youth program targets 25-35 Latino and minority youth ages 8-10 and their parents in the Bush Gardens in South Chicago. The intervention is conducted in 3 times per week in 3-4 hours for 6 weeks during summer growing months. Activities include working in the garden daily, horticultural, nutrition and physical activity classes (conducted by Extension Educators), food tasting demonstrations, computer literacy, regular exercise, and field trips. Youth enter the program with bilingual parental consent. Methods. Simple measures wwere selected for horticultural, physical activity, and dietary knowledge; physical activity, and dietary change. Once assent for participation is secured, participants and a control group from a youth program complete a demographic questionnaire and measures. Qualitative interviews and logs will document process, progress toward objectives, drop out issues, changes in the program plan, and the integration of partners in the intervention and research process. Results. This is a preliminary evaluation of a three year old coordinated youth community gardening and summer educational program. Over 10 organizations have partnered to sustain this program. Discussion. Finding adequate validated measures poses challenges. Knowledge measures have to be adapted to the educational content. Limitations include sample sizes, brief data collection periods, and limited budget to examine impact. The project creates procedures and tools to document community garden-related youth programs.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the steps for evaluating community gardening interventions for minority youth. Assess the development of a community gardening and education intervention program to reduce childhood obesity.

Keywords: Child Health Promotion, Food Security

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered