Christopher Ball

Programs such as residential gardening or walking/hiking groups can be seen as an activity more suited to the underserved older adult population by being cost-efficient and flexible regarding there implementation. They can be completed within the community so that the skills learned can be transferred to independent participation at home with a spouse or family.11 A majority of rurally based elderly adults have prior vocational experience and/or strongly associate with task-based labor occupations within the industrial or agricultural setting. As such, implementation of a community gardening program is more tailored to the elderly population; more apt to generate larger initial and long- term interest and participation through continued motivation, positive reinforcement, increased self-efficacy and reconnection with previous life roles and family connections.11. Older-adults tend to rank gardening as their second most popular activity behind “socializing with friends”.12 Horticulture is thought to facilitate gains in emotional status and functional mobility in the older adult through reestablishing mutual accountability, responsibility, accomplishment, fulfillment and self-esteem while working with others and provide positive reinforcement for the maintenance of behavior change.8,9 Produce gardening with nutrition programs would increase availability and intake of macronutrient-rich foods at a decreased overall cost to elder-adults who participate. A 2007 study by Houston et al. examined the effects of macronutrient deficiency and relationship to frailty.12 The authors found with daily caloric intake /= 62 years), measuring pre-to post-test changes of dietary behaviors and psychological well-being. The program was conducted over two gardening seasons.5 Monthly gardening classes provided technical information for the appropriate stage of the season. Nutrition classes were conducted every-other week for 90 minutes in a facilitative manner, to enhance perception of self-control and a social support system.5 Each nutritional meeting allotted a 30 minute period for each of three key elements of the educational intervention: a) providing nutrition information, b) developing an action plan to implement dietary improvements, and c) sharing successes and brainstorming ways to help each other eat well.5 Implementation of functional task training and peer-based education led to significant increases in dietary intake of all 7 food groups of focus.5 The implementation of a community gardening program enhanced neighborhood aesthetics and promoted social interactions associated with concordant task-based nutritional education and facilitated increased mean fruit and vegetable intake which meet or exceeded the 5 serving national recommendation.8 The combination of functional tasks and educational recourses also promoted an enhanced attitudinal change regarding nutrition fluency and gardening.5 Therefore, implementing dual-task health promotion programs which focus on task implementation and participant education can possibly promote adoption of positive heath behavior change with a greater likelihood of long-term maintenance of health behavior change.