A School-based Gardening Obesity Intervention for Low-income Minority Children

Summary

The investigators recently completed an NIH R21 grant, which was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effects of a gardening, nutrition, and cooking program in 375 low-income Hispanic students living in Los Angeles. Preliminary results from this study show that intervention compared to the control students have reductions in BMI parameters and waist circumference, increases in daily intake of dietary fiber and vegetables, and improved lipid profiles. The investigators want to expand and replicate this study by: a) using a cluster randomized school design; b) implementing the program during school hours; c) increasing sample size; d) lengthening the intervention period to one school year; e) collecting comprehensive metabolic measurements on the child; f) enhancing family workshops; g) collecting more parental data; and h) developing and evaluating sustainability strategies. Thus, the overall goal of this project is to test the effects of a large school-based gardening, nutrition, and cooking RCT (called "Sprouts") on dietary intake, dietary-related behaviors, obesity, and related metabolic disorders in low-income Hispanic youth and their families in Central Texas. Sixteen elementary schools will be randomized to either: 1) Sprouts intervention or 2) Control (delayed intervention). At each intervention school, the investigators will build edible gardens; form and train Garden Leadership Coalitions (GLCs); teach 20 Sprouts in-school lessons to the students; and teach nine family-based Sprouts lessons throughout school year. The following measures will be obtained for students at baseline and post-intervention: height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, body composition (via bioimpedance), blood pressure, glucose, insulin, and lipids (via voluntary fasting blood draws), dietary intake, and related psychosocial behaviors (e.g., preference/motivation/self-efficacy to eat FV). The investigators will also measure anthropometrics, dietary intake, and related dietary psychosocial variables on the parents at baseline and post-intervention. After the intervention year, the investigators will provide a series of training workshops and resources to the GLCs and schoolteachers to sustain the Sprouts program in subsequent years. The investigators will measure the sustainability employed by each school by process logs/surveys, structured interviews, and school observations.

Conditions

• Obesity

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Intervention

The intervention consists of building edible gardens at each the eight participating and eligible schools. Educators will be provided to lead 18 gardening, nutrition and cooking lessons throughout the school year intervention to all 3-5th grade students. Nine gardening, nutrition, and cooking classes will be taught to parents every month. Garden Leadership Coalitions (GLCs), made up of parents, teachers and school staff, will be formed and training/resources provided to help with adoption of the program. Training and resources will be provided to the GLCs and teachers in the 2nd year to assist with sustainability.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

  collaborator NIH

• The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

  collaborator OTHER

• Seton Healthcare Family

  collaborator OTHER

• Texas AgriLife Extension Service

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Texas at Austin

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Jaimie N Davis, PhD · University of Texas at Austin

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

8 Years

Max Age

11 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2016-09-01

Primary Completion

2019-05-30

Completion

2020-04-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations