Search Results (30)

Background/Objectives: The benefits of nature-based interventions to support well-being and mental health are increasingly well-documented in the literature; however, study of an occupational therapy gardening program for adolescents with exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is limited. Methods: This study evaluates the feasibility of a novel school gardening program for youth with a history of ACEs including the following: (1) recruitment; (2) data collection procedures and outcome measures; (3) acceptability and suitability of the intervention; and (4) evaluation of the response to a gardening intervention as measured by a visual analog scale of emotional state, a heartbeat counting task designed to capture changes in interoceptive awareness, and qualitative data from the teacher and researchers. This feasibility study was designed as an 8- to 10-week program (10 sessions minimum) to accommodate the school’s academic curriculum and support the participants’ academic progression. Three adolescents were recruited, ages 12–17, two of whom completed a shorter version of the program and one who dropped out. Results: Results indicated the gardening intervention recruitment and data collection procedures were feasible. Intervention was acceptable to participants. Outcome measures that produce both quantitative and qualitative changes are needed. Interoceptive measures show promise but require further refinement. Response to intervention seemed to be influenced by the participant’s psychosocial history but suggests possible changes in prosocial behavior. External factors such as absenteeism influenced aspects of participation, including frequency and duration of intervention. Conclusions: These findings suggest gardening interventions in occupational therapy are feasible and suitable for adolescents with a history of adversity. Potential exists for enhanced social connectedness, which supports mental health and well-being. Suggestions are offered for implementation and outcome measurements appropriate for this population. Full article

Background/Objectives: Childhood obesity rates in Jordan have reached alarming levels, with 28% of school-age children classified as overweight or obese. School-based gardening interventions show promise for promoting healthy eating behaviors, yet limited research exists in Middle Eastern contexts. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a five-month school-based vegetable gardening and nutrition education intervention on anthropometric measures, dietary intake, and knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding vegetable consumption among Jordanian primary school children. Methods: A quasi-experimental controlled trial was conducted with 216 students (ages 10–12 years) from two demographically matched schools in Amman, Jordan. The intervention group (n = 121) participated in weekly one-hour gardening sessions combined with nutrition education and vegetable tasting activities over five months, while the control group (n = 95) continued the standard curriculum. Outcomes measured at baseline and post-intervention included anthropometric assessments, dietary intake via 24 h recalls, and vegetable-related KAP using a validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and repeated measures ANCOVA. Results: The intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in body composition, including reductions in BMI (−1.57 kg/m²), weight (−1.88 kg), and BMI z-score (−0.37), while controls showed minimal increases. Vegetable intake showed significant time × group interaction (p-value = 0.003), with a non-significant increase in the intervention group (2.7 to 2.9 times/day) and a non-significant decrease in the controls (2.5 to 2.4 times/day). Dietary quality improved, including increased fiber intake (+2.36 g/day) and reduced saturated fat consumption (−9.24 g/day). Nutrition knowledge scores increased substantially in the intervention group (+22.31 points) compared to controls (+1.75 points; p-value ≤ 0.001). However, attitudes and practices toward vegetable consumption showed no significant changes. Conclusions: This intervention effectively improved body composition, dietary quality, and nutrition knowledge among Jordanian primary school children. These findings provide evidence for implementing culturally adapted school gardening programs as childhood obesity prevention interventions in Middle Eastern settings, though future programs should incorporate family engagement strategies to enhance behavioral sustainability. Full article

Adolescent obesity and inadequate dietary habits remain pressing public health concerns in Portugal, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Food literacy has emerged as a critical framework for promoting healthier eating behaviors; however, school-based interventions are rarely culturally grounded or theoretically structured. This narrative review synthesizes the experiential strategies described in the literature to improve adolescent food literacy in school settings. It provides a conceptual foundation for and supports the design rationale of FOODWISELab: The Mediterranean Diet Experience—a school-based intervention aligned with Mediterranean diet principles and specifically tailored to the Portuguese educational context. Findings from the literature—emphasizing the value of school gardens, cooking classes, digital tools, and curricular integration—guided the development of FOODWISELab: The Mediterranean Diet Experience, a comprehensive intervention designed for implementation in public secondary schools in Portugal. The proposed protocol bridges the gap between research and practice by offering a structured, context-sensitive model built around four core pedagogical domains: planning, selecting, preparing, and eating. It integrates multiple components, including hands-on learning, family and community involvement, and robust evaluation strategy. FOODWISELab addresses the well-documented gap in adolescent food literacy by delivering a feasible, culturally relevant, and replicable intervention. The anchored Mediterranean dietary model aims to promote adolescent health, sustainability, and cultural heritage in both the urban and rural educational contexts. By presenting a detailed and actionable protocol, this review enhances the practical value of food literacy research and offers strategic guidance for future educational and public health initiatives. Full article

Hands-on gardening is linked with healthy eating behaviors, increased outdoor activities, and overall well-being, all contributing factors to preventing obesity. Although these positive associations are widely established for adults and school-aged children, little evidence can be found on how such relationships may extend to early childhood, especially in the preschool years (3–5 years). One recent study conducted in North Carolina (NC) showed that participating in hands-on gardening significantly increased preschoolers’ accurate identification of fruits and vegetables (FV) and FV consumption compared to children who did not participate in hands-on gardening, but no association was found between participation in hands-on gardening and the children’s liking (eating preferences) of FV. FV identification and liking during the early years may lead to lifelong healthy eating behaviors and preferences, making hands-on gardening a critical health intervention in early childhood environments, especially in childcare centers where a majority of the 13 million children in the United States between the ages of 0 and 5 spend most of their waking hours. This research aimed to investigate how hands-on gardening in childcare centers may impact preschoolers’ (3–5 years old) FV knowledge (identification) and liking in a semi-arid climate zone with a high concentration of Hispanic families by conducting experimental research with eight childcare centers and one hundred forty-nine children (n = 149) in Lubbock County, located in West Texas. The findings showed changes in average liking scores are generally positive in the experimental group of children who participated in hands-on gardening (compared to the control non-gardening group), implying an improved liking. The findings indicate that the benefits of hands-on gardening in childcare centers for enhancing healthy eating preferences are evident even in a semi-arid climate zone, where high temperatures and limited rainfall present significant gardening challenges. This research underscores the importance of integrating hands-on gardening into childcare programs, highlighting its potential as an effective obesity prevention strategy not only within the US but also in other regions with similar environmental constraints. Full article

Background: Nutrition, cooking, and gardening lessons individually and together have been shown to increase fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption in school-aged children. The CATCH Rainbow program incorporated nutrition education, cooking, and gardening lessons aimed at increasing FV consumption in elementary school-aged children and assessed changes in participants’ BMI, self-reported FV consumption, and skin carotenoid levels at baseline and post-intervention. Methods: Two-hundred and twenty-five 4th and 5th graders (mean age: 9.8 years and 52% male participants) at Genoa Elementary School participated in six cooking and six gardening sessions between September 2021 and May 2022. Each nutrition education session was 25 min long, paired with either hands-on cooking activities or gardening skills. At baseline and post-intervention, participants’ height and weight were assessed with a stadiometer/scale, and skin carotenoid measurement was taken by a Veggie Meter^® (Longevity Link Corporation (Salt Lake City, UT, USA)). Students also completed the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire to self-report FV consumption at both time points. Focus groups were conducted with children at the end of the program for qualitative feedback. Results: paired samples T-test and regression analysis results indicate no significant decrease in BMI or significant increase in skin carotenoid scores from pre- to post-intervention. However, though not significant, there was an increase in self-reported FV intake by 0.4 servings. Additionally, the qualitative feedback was positive, as children mentioned benefits of healthy eating and expressed enjoyment for growing, cooking, and tasting fruits and vegetables. Conclusions: Results from this study can be used to guide future cooking and gardening programs for elementary school children. Time of the year when implementing these programs and collecting data may impact study outcomes due to seasonal variations in fruit and vegetable intake. Full article

Research indicates that health interventions are most effective when they address multiple social determinants of health to support positive behavior. Schools as Hubs of Health, a comprehensive model of nutrition and physical activity education, was developed to support wellness within school communities defined as low-income by the national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed). Components of the model include the following: classroom education; garden education; youth engagement; staff training; parent and community engagement; and policies, systems, and environments. Findings over the last decade indicate positive outcomes in nutrition and physical activity behaviors, youth leadership and engagement, and systems and environmental changes that support health and wellness. Full article

This study has the aim of providing a theoretical–methodological strategy for the design and implementation of educational programs that favor the development of children’s creative potential in the context of museums as cultural institutions. It was carried out in two schools with the collaboration of the National Museum of Natural Sciences and the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid, Spain, during an entire academic year. The emphasis of the procedure is based on multi-stakeholder participation and a multidisciplinary approach through workshops based on a collaborative methodology that promotes communication between the school as an institution, the teachers, and the museum facilitators, during the various phases of the intervention. The work with the children is supported by the creative problem-solving (CPS) methodology through the development of workshops in the museums, where the children were able to be the protagonists and manage their own learning process. The obtained results show the relevance of assuming a set of methodological principles and resources that can be replicated in future intervention programs, among which the school–museum collaborative communication, creative problem solving, the use of activity records, and the role of games and fantasy as mediators in the stimulation of creativity stand out. Full article

School gardens and outdoor learning spaces are increasingly available to support authentic, student-centered exploration in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Integrating technology tools into school garden spaces in alignment with modern agricultural practices can support inquiry-based learning in which students engage in science practices such as collecting and analyzing data. However, educators currently lack the necessary knowledge, skills, and instructional support to enact technology-rich, garden-based STEM learning experiences. The Garden TOOLS program was designed to support teachers in leveraging technology to support inquiry-based teaching (IBT) in outdoor learning spaces. In this paper, we examine the impact of combining Garden TOOLS professional development workshops with lesson plan implementation in a practicum setting on elementary pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) science teaching self-efficacy. We administered the STEBI-B pre- and post-intervention and assessed change in the STEBI-B subscales, personal science teaching efficacy (PSTE), and science teaching outcome expectancy (STOE). Participants included thirty-nine elementary PSTs enrolled in a 300-level science methods course in the rural Midwest. Garden TOOLS professional development workshop participants saw a statistically significant increase from pre- to post-workshop in their PSTE. Participants who also implemented the Garden TOOLS lesson showed both an increase in PSTE and STOE. Full article

This systematic review aims at documenting government-led school nutrition programs/interventions in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). A systematic review of the available literature on this topic was conducted between 25 October 2022 and 15 November 2022 using 15 electronic databases as well as grey literature. The search was limited to materials published post 2000 in English, Arabic, or French. Articles/Reports were included in the review if they provided information on school-based nutrition programs/interventions developed, adopted or implemented by a governmental entity in the EMR countries, irrespective of study design. In total, 158 documents were retained until 16 May 2023. School-based programs/interventions were categorized into 13 types. In total, 298 school-based nutrition programs/interventions were identified. The most common were school meals and school feeding programs (all EMR countries) followed by nutrition education within the curriculum (77% of countries), extracurricular nutrition education (64%), standards for school canteens or foods/beverages available in schools (64%), and training of school staff (59%). Approximately half reported the inclusion of fruit and vegetable schemes (54%) or the establishment of hygienic cooking facilities (50%), while less than half reported standards for the marketing of food/beverages (45%), bans/standards for vending machines, milk feeding schemes, or micronutrient supplementation programs (41%). The least common interventions were school gardens (32%) and take-home rations (14%). Countries with the lowest gross domestic product and lowest government effectiveness score had the lowest number of programs/interventions. Many of the programs have tackled both school-aged children as well as preschoolers. We were able to identify monitoring and process evaluation for 21 programs in 14 countries. Few programs have undergone impact assessment. Full article

The objective is to compare the gardening, cooking, and combined cooking and gardening programs in elementary schools from the past decade (2011–2022) in improving six psychosocial and behavioral outcomes related to fruit and vegetable intake. This review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Five scientific databases were searched to identify 4763 potential articles, 44 articles were retained after screening the studies’ abstract, and 36 articles were included after further investigation into each intervention. This review included 9 gardening-only programs, 8 cooking-only programs, and 19 combined cooking and gardening programs. The included studies were from 14 different countries with half of these studies took place in the United States (n = 18). Of the outcomes assessed, 100% (10/10) of the studies were effective in improving knowledge/skills, 90% effective in improving attitudes and self-efficacy to consume F and V (9/10), 80% produced significant results for gardening and cooking attitudes/behaviors (8/10) and willingness to try F and V (4/5), 68% (11/16) programs resulted in increase in F and V intake, and 62% (10/16) programs improved F and V preference. This review suggests that gardening-only programs (89%) and cooking-only programs (88%) were slightly more effective in producing significant findings compared to combined programs (84%), but more high-quality interventions are needed to confirm these findings. Full article

School food systems play a role in the wider food system, but there is a scarcity of literature exploring interventions that aim to improve the environmental sustainability of school food systems. The present review aimed to understand and describe the types of interventions that have previously been explored to strengthen the sustainability of school food systems along with their impact. We applied a scoping review methodology guided by Arksey and O’Malley, which included a review of the online database Scopus and the grey literature. Information relating to intervention design, study population, evaluation method and impact were extracted. In total, 6016 records were screened for eligibility, 24 of which were eligible for inclusion. The most common types of interventions were school lunch menus designed to be more sustainable; school food waste reduction; sustainable food system education using school gardens; and dietary interventions with added environmental components. This review highlights a range of interventions which could positively influence the environmental sustainability of school food systems. Further research is needed to explore the effectiveness of such interventions. Full article

There is limited evidence on diet and physical activity (PA) interventions to prevent childhood over- and under-nutrition in Nigeria, particularly those with parental involvement. The aim of this qualitative cross-sectional study was to explore parents’, children’s, and other stakeholders’ views on what might enable or hinder participation in diet and PA interventions with parental involvement, and potential intervention components likely to be feasible and acceptable. The study took place in Lagos State, Nigeria. Sixteen boys and girls aged 8–11 years in four participating schools were involved in the study. In addition, women (n = 19) and men (n = 13) aged 18–60 years took part. These included parents, teachers, school heads, community leaders, health professionals, and health or education civil servants, recruited via the participating schools, community and professional links. Data were collected in schools, homes, and places of work via one-to-one interviews and focus groups, audio-recorded with participants’ consent. Topics included knowledge about a balanced diet and active living; frequency of exercise and barriers and facilitators of participation; and ideas for fostering good diet and physical activity habits. Socio-demographic data were collected orally at the start of each discussion. Thematic analysis of verbatim transcripts of the recordings was conducted. Three overarching themes were identified: (1) Active community collaboration; (2) strategies for involving families; and (3) schools as key settings for interventions. The main barriers to participation in potential interventions included poor access to clean water, safe outdoor play space, and menstrual hygiene products. Suggested solutions included increased security, infrastructure improvements using recycled materials, school gardening, and health campaigns funded by local dignitaries. Health literacy education for parents, tailored to local dialects, was considered an important potential intervention component that would engage families. The feasibility and acceptability of grassroots suggestions for intervention components and parental involvement could usefully be explored in future pilot studies. Full article

School environments can create healthy settings to foster children’s health and well-being. School gardening is gaining popularity as an intervention for healthier eating and increased physical activity. We used a systematic realist approach to investigate how school gardens improve health and well-being outcomes for school-aged children, why, and in what circumstances. The context and mechanisms of the specific school gardening interventions (n = 24) leading to positive health and well-being outcomes for school-aged children were assessed. The impetus of many interventions was to increase fruit and vegetable intake and address the prevention of childhood obesity. Most interventions were conducted at primary schools with participating children in Grades 2 through 6. Types of positive outcomes included increased fruit and vegetable consumption, dietary fiber and vitamins A and C, improved body mass index, and improved well-being of children. Key mechanisms included embedding nutrition-based and garden-based education in the curriculum; experiential learning opportunities; family engagement and participation; authority figure engagement; cultural context; use of multi-prong approaches; and reinforcement of activities during implementation. This review shows that a combination of mechanisms works mutually through school gardening programs leading to improved health and well-being outcomes for school-aged children. Full article

Inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables (FV) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in children has become a global public health problem. Therefore, school-based gardening and cooking (SGC) and sports participation (SP) interventions may be effective in improving children’s FV intake and MVPA. The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of SGC and SP interventions on FV intake and MVPA among Chinese children. In this cluster randomized controlled trial study, 237 children in grades 4–5 from six public primary schools from Changsha, Hunan Province, China will be randomly assigned to: (1) a SGC and SP combined intervention group; (2) a SP intervention group; (3) a regular practice group. The intervention clusters will be implemented for a period of 6 months and follow up will be carried out after 12 months. The outcome will be collected using a combination of self-reported and objective measures. Primary outcomes will include children’s FV intake and duration of MVPA per day, and secondary outcomes will included frequency and attitudes of FV intake and SP, in addition to other measures. Finally, a process evaluation will be used to analyze the facilitators and barriers to intervention implementation. Trial Registration: (Registration Number: ChiCTR2200064141). Full article

Background: Health-related behaviours and attitudes acquired in childhood significantly shape health behaviours in adulthood and play an important role in preventing children from becoming overweight. Interventions incorporating parental involvement can provide outstanding support in shaping a child’s health-related behaviour. However, parental involvement has not been investigated from the perspective of efficacy except for obesity. Therefore, this systematic review investigates school-based physical activity intervention programmes incorporating parental involvement. We aim to explore the impact of these programmes and the parental involvement they provide on behaviours that influence child health, which are essential for preventing children and adults from becoming overweight and promoting health-conscious lifestyles. Methods: This systematic literature review follows PRISMA guidelines. The EBSCO Discovery Service Search Engine was used for searching for literature. Papers included met the following inclusion criteria: (1) reported original, empirical research or systematic review published in a peer-reviewed journal; (2) primary or secondary school age (6–18 years) as the target population; (3) examined school-based sport or health prevention and intervention programs; (4) only healthy children and youth in the indicated age group; (5) school-based prevention or intervention program; (6) examines parental involvement; (7) in the English language, and (8) in disciplines of education, psychology, social work, sociology, social sciences and humanities. Results: An extremely limited number of interventions of sufficient quality address the role of parental involvement (N = 17). The forms of parental involvement show a huge variety, ranging from leaflets, home packs, sports organisations “forced” by the pandemic, parent meetings, programmes, courses, and school programmes with diverse children over several months (cooking together, gardening, playing sports together, etc.). Therefore, it is difficult to measure their effectiveness and impact. Conclusions: The impact of parental involvement on children’s health behaviour, especially physical activity and nutrition, as two of the most important factors in preventing them from becoming overweight, are unclear, and other correlations, e.g., academic achievement, are scarce. Full article