Childcare Outdoor Learning Environments as Active Food Systems
Condition: Pediatric Obesity; Sedentary Behavior
MeSH terms: Obesity; Pediatric Obesity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The aim of this project is to assess the effectiveness of the fruit and vegetable (FV)
      gardening component of the Preventing Obesity by Design strategy to support preschool fresh
      fruit and vegetable knowledge, liking and consumption, and physical activity in children 3-5
      years old living in under-resourced communities and attending childcare using a Randomized
      Controlled Trial research design. Sample: 15 childcare centers, 286 children.
    

Detailed description: 
      Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a gardening component on preschool children's
      knowledge, liking and consumption of fruit and vegetable consumption, and their level of
      physical activity during gardening season.

      Intervention: Fruit and vegetable garden installation. Childcare centers were randomly
      assigned to one of three groups: Group 1, intervention (5 centers); Group 2, wait list
      control (5 centers); Group 3, no-intervention control (5 centers).

      In Year 1 (Spring), baseline data was collected from Groups 1 and Group 2 (waitlist). Group
      1, initial intervention centers, received the garden intervention in the Summer and both
      groups were assessed in the Fall, post intervention. No further data was collected from Group
      1.

      In Year 2 (Spring), Group 2 (waitlist, now intervention) and Group 3 were assessed. Group 2,
      received the garden intervention in the Summer of Year 2 and both groups were assessed in the
      Fall of Year 2.

      No further data was collected.

      Sample: 15 centers. Children: 286 (4 and 5 years old). Center demographic profile includes
      child data: age, gender, parental education, race/ethnicity, special needs, and height/weight
      (BMI). To avoid losing "graduating" five year old children, post-intervention data was
      gathered before school start date.
    

Intervention name(s): Garden installation
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Garden installation: 6 raised planting beds (4x6x16") configured in a single line with direct sun at least 6 hrs./day, close to hose bib, sufficient distances to allow working from most sides, vegetable vines spill over space, and storage unit for tools.
Planting beds constructed from a standard kit. Beds filled with high quality growing medium.
Plants selection criteria: a) documented harvest success in NC Piedmont; b) able to be eaten raw, c) harvest times at the same time (except strawberries).
Designated beds and plants: Bed 1: 4 pepper, 2 tomato; Bed 2: 20 bean on 2 mini-teepees, 2 cucumber (trellised); Bed 3: 1 yellow squash, 1 zucchini; Bed 4: 2 blueberry bushes, 12 strawberry; Bed 5: 2 cantaloupe. Bed 6: 2 watermelon. 2 Blackberries planted at ground level on trellis.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Childcare centers were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group 1, intervention (5 centers); Group 2, wait list control (5 centers); Group 3, no-intervention control (5 centers).
In Year 1 (Spring), baseline data was collected from Groups 1 and 2. Group 1, initial intervention centers, received the garden intervention in the summer of Year 1 and both groups were assessed in the Fall, post intervention. No further data was collected from Group 1.
In Year 2, Groups 2 and 3 were assessed in the Spring. Group 2, the wait-list control centers, received the garden intervention in the summer of Year 2, and both Groups 2 and 3 were assessed in the Fall of Year 2.
No further data was collected.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Childhood obesity; Gardening; Fruit consumption; Vegetable consumption