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Menhas R, Yang L, Saqib ZA, Younas M, Saeed MM. Does nature-based social prescription improve mental health outcomes? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1228271. [PMID: 38590811 PMCID: PMC10999630 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1228271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background A nature-based social prescription (NBSP) is an approach to improving mental health outcomes that involves prescribing nature-based interventions as complementary or alternative therapy to traditional ones. A variety of advantages are available from NBSP for people looking to enhance their mental well-being. The effect size of the nature-based social prescriptions (NBSPs) has not been thoroughly evaluated by systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Objectives The current study aimed to analyze existing studies and conduct a meta-analysis to determine the overall effect size of the nature-based social prescriptions (NBSP's) outcomes on mental health. Methods By choosing the relevant papers from among those that were available, a meta-analysis was carried out in the current study. A systematic search of electronic databases (Pub Med, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, and PsychINFO) was conducted to identify relevant studies. Studies were included if they evaluated the effects of NBSP on mental health outcomes. Effect sizes were calculated using the random effects model. Results Meta-analysis of interventions statistics shows that CBT (SMD -0.0035; 95% CI: [-0.5090; 0.5020]; Tau^2: 0.1011; Tau: 0.318), digital intervention (SMD -0.3654; 95% CI: [-0.5258; 1.2566]; Tau^2: 0.2976, Tau: 0.5455), music intervention (SMD -2.1281; 95% CI: [-0.4659; 4.7221]; Tau^2: 3.4046; Tau:1.8452), and psychological interventions (SMD -0.8529; 95% CI: [0.3051; 1.4007]; Tau^2: 0.1224; Tau: 0.3499) do not significantly impact. The other interventions [social belongingness, communication training, blue intervention, nature-based education, cognitive behavior group therapy (CBGT), social prescribing coordinator, self-help intervention, participatory, organizational intervention, inpatient services, brief diet, internet-based intervention, prenatal intervention, yoga and meditation, ergonomics training program, yoga nidra intervention, and storytelling] highlighted above are significant. Conclusion The conclusion of the meta-analysis supports the idea that incorporating nature-based social prescription interventions into mental healthcare plans can effectively complement traditional therapies and improve mental health outcomes. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023412458, CRD42023412458.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashid Menhas
- Department of Nursing, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine, and International School of Medicine, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu, China
| | - Lili Yang
- Department of Nursing, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine, and International School of Medicine, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu, China
| | - Zulkaif Ahmed Saqib
- College of Urban Transportation and Logistics, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Muhammad Younas
- School of Educational Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Muhammad Muddasar Saeed
- International Education College Chinese and Western Medicine Clinic, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
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Coll-Planas L, Carbó-Cardeña A, Jansson A, Dostálová V, Bartova A, Rautiainen L, Kolster A, Masó-Aguado M, Briones-Buixassa L, Blancafort-Alias S, Roqué-Figuls M, Sachs AL, Casajuana C, Siebert U, Rochau U, Puntscher S, Holmerová I, Pitkala KH, Litt JS. Nature-based social interventions to address loneliness among vulnerable populations: a common study protocol for three related randomized controlled trials in Barcelona, Helsinki, and Prague within the RECETAS European project. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:172. [PMID: 38218784 PMCID: PMC10787456 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17547-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The negative effects of loneliness on population health and wellbeing requires interventions that transcend the medical system and leverage social, cultural, and public health system resources. Group-based social interventions are a potential method to alleviate loneliness. Moreover, nature, as part of our social and health infrastructure, may be an important part of the solutions that are needed to address loneliness. The RECETAS European project H2020 (Re-imagining Environments for Connection and Engagement: Testing Actions for Social Prescribing in Natural Spaces) is an international research project aiming to develop and test the effectiveness of nature-based social interventions to reduce loneliness and increase health-related quality of life. METHODS This article describes the three related randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that will be implemented: the RECETAS-BCN Trial in Barcelona (Spain) is targeting people 18+ from low socio-economic urban areas; the RECETAS-PRG Trial in Prague (Czech Republic) is addressing community-dwelling older adults over 60 years of age, and the RECETAS-HLSNK trial is reaching older people in assisted living facilities. Each trial will recruit 316 adults suffering from loneliness at least sometimes and randomize them to nature-based social interventions called "Friends in Nature" or to the control group. "Friends in Nature" uses modifications of the "Circle of Friends" methodology based on group processes of peer support and empowerment but including activities in nature. Participants will be assessed at baseline, at post-intervention (3 months), and at 6- and 12-month follow-up after baseline. Primary outcomes are the health-related quality-of-life according to 15D measure and The De Jong Gierveld 11-item loneliness scale. Secondary outcomes are health and psychosocial variables tailored to the specific target population. Nature exposure will be collected throughout the intervention period. Process evaluation will explore context, implementation, and mechanism of impact. Additionally, health economic evaluations will be performed. DISCUSSION The three RECETAS trials will explore the effectiveness of nature-based social interventions among lonely people from various ages, social, economic, and cultural backgrounds. RECETAS meets the growing need of solid evidence for programs addressing loneliness by harnessing the beneficial impact of nature on enhancing wellbeing and social connections. TRIAL REGISTRATION Barcelona (Spain) trial: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT05488496. Registered 29 July 2022. Prague (Czech Republic) trial: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT05522140. Registered August 25, 2022. Helsinki (Finland) trial: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT05507684. Registered August 12, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Coll-Planas
- Research group on Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O). Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare. Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC). Institute for Research and Innovation in Life Sciences and Health in Central Catalonia (IRIS-CC), Vic, Spain
| | - Aina Carbó-Cardeña
- Research group on Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O). Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare. Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC). Institute for Research and Innovation in Life Sciences and Health in Central Catalonia (IRIS-CC), Vic, Spain
| | - Anu Jansson
- Department of General Practice, University of Helsinki, PO BOX 20, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vladimira Dostálová
- Charles University, Faculty of Humanities - Centre of Expertise in Longevity and Long-Term Care, Pátkova 2137/5, 182 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alzbeta Bartova
- Charles University, Faculty of Humanities - Centre of Expertise in Longevity and Long-Term Care, Pátkova 2137/5, 182 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Laura Rautiainen
- Department of General Practice, University of Helsinki, PO BOX 20, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Annika Kolster
- Department of General Practice, University of Helsinki, PO BOX 20, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services, Health Services, Espoo, Finland
| | - Montse Masó-Aguado
- Research group on Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O). Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare. Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC). Institute for Research and Innovation in Life Sciences and Health in Central Catalonia (IRIS-CC), Vic, Spain
| | - Laia Briones-Buixassa
- Innovation in Mental Health and Social Wellbeing Research group (ISAMBES), Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare. Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC). Institute for Research and Innovation in Life Sciences and Health in Central Catalonia (IRIS-CC), Vic, Spain
| | - Sergi Blancafort-Alias
- Fundació Salut i Envelliment UAB, Casa Convalescència UAB C/ Sant Antoni M. Claret, 171, 4a planta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Roqué-Figuls
- Fundació Salut i Envelliment UAB, Casa Convalescència UAB C/ Sant Antoni M. Claret, 171, 4a planta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ashby Lavelle Sachs
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) Doctor Aiguader, 88 08003, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Casajuana
- Subdirecció General d'Addiccions, VIH, ITS i Hepatitis Víriques. Agència de Salut Pública de Catalunya, Carrer de Roc Boronat, 81-95, 08005, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Uwe Siebert
- Institute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT TIROL - University for Health Sciences and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
- Center for Health Decision Science, Departments of Epidemiology and Health Policy & Management, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute for Technology Assessment, Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ursula Rochau
- Institute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT TIROL - University for Health Sciences and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | - Sibylle Puntscher
- Institute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT TIROL - University for Health Sciences and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | - Iva Holmerová
- Charles University, Faculty of Humanities - Centre of Expertise in Longevity and Long-Term Care, Pátkova 2137/5, 182 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kaisu H Pitkala
- Department of General Practice, University of Helsinki, PO BOX 20, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki University Hospital, Unit of Primary Health Care, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jill S Litt
- Fundació Salut i Envelliment UAB, Casa Convalescència UAB C/ Sant Antoni M. Claret, 171, 4a planta, Barcelona, Spain.
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) Doctor Aiguader, 88 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
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White MP, Hartig T, Martin L, Pahl S, van den Berg AE, Wells NM, Costongs C, Dzhambov AM, Elliott LR, Godfrey A, Hartl A, Konijnendijk C, Litt JS, Lovell R, Lymeus F, O'Driscoll C, Pichler C, Pouso S, Razani N, Secco L, Steininger MO, Stigsdotter UK, Uyarra M, van den Bosch M. Nature-based biopsychosocial resilience: An integrative theoretical framework for research on nature and health. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 181:108234. [PMID: 37832260 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Nature-based solutions including urban forests and wetlands can help communities cope better with climate change and other environmental stressors by enhancing social-ecological resilience. Natural ecosystems, settings, elements and affordances can also help individuals become more personally resilient to a variety of stressors, although the mechanisms underpinning individual-level nature-based resilience, and their relations to social-ecological resilience, are not well articulated. We propose 'nature-based biopsychosocial resilience theory' (NBRT) to address these gaps. Our framework begins by suggesting that individual-level resilience can refer to both: a) a person's set of adaptive resources; and b) the processes by which these resources are deployed. Drawing on existing nature-health perspectives, we argue that nature contact can support individuals build and maintain biological, psychological, and social (i.e. biopsychosocial) resilience-related resources. Together with nature-based social-ecological resilience, these biopsychosocial resilience resources can: i) reduce the risk of various stressors (preventive resilience); ii) enhance adaptive reactions to stressful circumstances (response resilience), and/or iii) facilitate more rapid and/or complete recovery from stress (recovery resilience). Reference to these three resilience processes supports integration across more familiar pathways involving harm reduction, capacity building, and restoration. Evidence in support of the theory, potential interventions to promote nature-based biopsychosocial resilience, and issues that require further consideration are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew P White
- Cognitive Science HUB, University of Vienna, Austria; European Centre for Environment & Human Health, University of Exeter, UK.
| | - Terry Hartig
- Institute for Housing and Urban Research, Uppsala University, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Leanne Martin
- European Centre for Environment & Human Health, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Sabine Pahl
- Urban and Environmental Psychology Group, University of Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Nancy M Wells
- Department of Human Centered Design, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | | | - Angel M Dzhambov
- Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Environmental Health Division, Research Institute at Medical University of Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Lewis R Elliott
- European Centre for Environment & Human Health, University of Exeter, UK
| | | | - Arnulf Hartl
- Institute of Ecomedicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Jill S Litt
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Ciber on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rebecca Lovell
- European Centre for Environment & Human Health, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Freddie Lymeus
- Institute for Housing and Urban Research, Uppsala University, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | | | - Christina Pichler
- Institute of Ecomedicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sarai Pouso
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
| | - Nooshin Razani
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Laura Secco
- Department of Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali (TESAF), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Ulrika K Stigsdotter
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maria Uyarra
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
| | - Matilda van den Bosch
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Ciber on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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Knoff KAG, Kulik N, Mallare J, Dombrowski RD. The Association Between Home or Community Garden Access and Adolescent Health. FAMILY & COMMUNITY HEALTH 2022; 45:267-271. [PMID: 35762912 PMCID: PMC9387763 DOI: 10.1097/fch.0000000000000339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about the influence of home or community garden (HCG) access on adolescent health. The objective of this study was to determine the association between adolescent self-rated health, nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and intake with HCG access. Urban high school students (n = 401) completed a questionnaire prior to a nutrition education intervention. Point biserial correlations and one-way analyses of variance evaluated garden access and health variables. Garden access differed by race ( P < .001), and students with HCG access consumed more vegetables than students who did not ( P = .003) and rated themselves as healthier ( P = .034). Findings suggest that garden access is associated with higher adolescent vegetable consumption and higher self-rated health. Future research should investigate adolescent levels of engagement in HCGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A. G. Knoff
- Correspondence: Kathryn A. G. Knoff, PhD, CHES, Division of Kinesiology, Health and Sports Studies, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202 ()
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Joshi N, Wende W. Physically apart but socially connected: Lessons in social resilience from community gardening during the COVID-19 pandemic. LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING 2022; 223:104418. [PMID: 36540856 PMCID: PMC9754715 DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Urban green spaces, like community gardens, received increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from an ethnographic study on participating in community garden activities in Edmonton, Canada and inputs from 194 gardeners and 21 garden coordinators, this paper captures the experiences of creating community during a pandemic. Garden coordinators had to rethink and rework their operating styles in keeping participants physically apart but socially connected. Participants confirmed that garden activities provided respite from the pandemic restrictions. Findings also indicate that some participants missed group activities like work bees and potlucks while others were able to re-create community in digital spaces and in chanced and informal interactions. This study draws from and subsequently contributes to the existing literature on social resilience provided by community gardens during and after a crisis event. It also provides policy recommendations on how the city administration can help facilitate garden activities during times of disruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neelakshi Joshi
- Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, Weberplatz 1, 01217 Dresden, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wende
- Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, Weberplatz 1, 01217 Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Architecture, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 17, 01062 Dresden, Germany
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Hume C, Grieger JA, Kalamkarian A, D'Onise K, Smithers LG. Community gardens and their effects on diet, health, psychosocial and community outcomes: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1247. [PMID: 35739494 PMCID: PMC9229094 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13591-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We systematically reviewed the effects of community gardens on physical and psychosocial health, health behaviors and community outcomes. Methods Quantitative studies that examined associations of health, psychosocial or community outcomes with community gardens were included in the review. Studies up to December 2020 were captured from searches of Medline, Web of Science, PsycInfo, EBSCOHost and CAB Abstracts. Data were extracted and study quality including risk of bias was examined. Results There were 53 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Studies examining associations between community gardens and nutrition or food security were most frequently reported (k = 23). Other factors examined for associations with community gardens were health (k = 16), psychosocial (k = 16) and community outcomes (k = 7). Effects appeared positive for fruit and vegetable intake, some psychosocial and community outcomes, but mixed for physical health outcomes. Evidence quality overall was low. Conclusions Community gardening was associated with higher fruit and vegetable intake, positive psychosocial and community outcomes, but poor evidence quality suggests the effects of community gardening may be overestimated. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13591-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Hume
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5000, Australia.
| | - Jessica A Grieger
- Adelaide Medical School, North Terrace, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.,Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, North Adelaide, SA, 5006, Australia
| | - Anna Kalamkarian
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5000, Australia
| | - Katina D'Onise
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5000, Australia.,Wellbeing SA, Citicentre, Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Lisa G Smithers
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5000, Australia.,Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, North Adelaide, SA, 5006, Australia.,School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
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Abstract
Despite extensive literature on the socio-cultural services of urban open spaces, the role of food-producing spaces has not received sufficient attention. This hampers advocacy for preserving and growing urban agricultural activities, often dismissed on justifications that their contributions to overall food supply are negligible. To understand how the social benefits of urban agriculture have been measured, we conducted a systematic review of 272 peer-reviewed publications, which drew on insights from urban agriculture sites in 57 different countries. Through content analysis, we investigated socio-cultural benefits in four spheres: engaged and cohesive communities, health and well-being, economic opportunities, and education. The analysis revealed growth in research on the social impacts of gardens and farms, with most studies measuring the effects on community cohesion and engagement, followed by increased availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables associated with reduced food insecurity and better health. Fewer studies assessed the impact of urban farming on educational and economic outcomes. Quantifying the multiple ways in which urban agriculture provides benefits to people will empower planners and the private sector to justify future investments. These findings are also informative for research theorizing cities as socio-ecological systems and broader efforts to measure the benefits of urban agriculture, in its many forms.
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Budowle R, Porter CM. Cultivating Community Resilience With Agency and Sociality in Gardens for Health and Healing. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.685384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Communities must develop ever greater resilience as they face the climate emergency and concomitant health and food system challenges. Sustainable food systems research tends to adopt broad and often theoretical social-ecological systems perspectives on resilience. Models theorize that community self-organization for mobilizing change and agency in taking planned action are key processes for community resilience. Empirically, however, how individuals come together to engage in collective action for community resilience remains little explored. In this research, we examine strategies for resilience employed by 19 participants with multiple chronic health conditions in Gardens for Health and Healing, a community-based participatory research project conducted in southeast Wyoming. Through random assignment, participants either received a home garden or designed their own 16-week wellbeing program from a menu of community health and food systems services (e.g., cooking classes, farmers' market gift certificates, home garden). Using a pre-post wellbeing survey, interviews, and 14 months of ethnographic research, we explored the role of choice—or agency—for participants' wellbeing. Survey results suggest that receiving a garden more greatly benefitted participants' physical health while designing and implementing a wellbeing plan more greatly benefitted mental health. Qualitative results find that participants in both the garden and menu conditions identified their intervention as empowering them to take action to improve their own health and wellbeing. Participants attributed their wellbeing less to what condition they were in (garden or menu), and more to the relational processes they engaged in through the project. These processes included bringing the family together; associating with friends, neighbors, and colleagues; caring for garden environments; and engaging with the community-based organization that supported both the gardens and the wellbeing plans. We find that this sociality can help promote and explain a move from individual wellbeing and agency to the collective forms of agency and self-organization necessary to cultivate community resilience for sustainable food systems.
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Exploring the Potential Risk of Heavy Metal Pollution of Edible Cultivated Plants in Urban Gardening Contexts Using a Citizen Science Approach in the Project “Heavy Metal City-Zen”. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13158626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Urban gardening has become increasingly popular, creating green oases in cities; however, many of these activities are undertaken in areas of high traffic density or on ex-brown field sites. As a consequence, there are still some barriers to the adoption of these urban gardening practices for food production. One of the public concerns is the transfer of urban pollutants such as heavy metals into the consumer’s food chain, however, city-wide data is often difficult and expensive to collect. In the citizen science project described herein, we conducted simple citizen-led common collaborative experiments in urban community gardens. These data provided information on the potential risk of heavy metal contaminants and ways in which to mitigate those risks in an urban gardening context. Generally, values were below guideline thresholds, however, at a few garden sites, soil trace metal concentrations (Pb, Cd, Zn) exceeded Austrian recommended limits. Moreover, only at two sites were plant trace metal concentrations shown to be above European food standards limits. Given the citizen’s positive response to the project, we suggest expanding this study to the whole of Vienna, giving newly established gardens a chance to predetermine the risks posed by their local soils.
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The Hierarchy of Walking Needs and the COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18147461. [PMID: 34299913 PMCID: PMC8307307 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
More than 150 cities around the world have expanded emergency cycling and walking infrastructure to increase their resilience in the face of the COVID 19 pandemic. This tendency toward walking has led it to becoming the predominant daily mode of transport that also contributes to significant changes in the relationships between the hierarchy of walking needs and walking behaviour. These changes need to be addressed in order to increase the resilience of walking environments in the face of such a pandemic. This study was designed as a theoretical and empirical literature review seeking to improve the walking behaviour in relation to the hierarchy of walking needs within the current context of COVID-19. Accordingly, the interrelationship between the main aspects relating to walking-in the context of the pandemic- and the different levels in the hierarchy of walking needs were discussed. Results are presented in five sections of “density, crowding and stress during walking”, “sense of comfort/discomfort and stress in regard to crowded spaces during walking experiences”, “crowded spaces as insecure public spaces and the contribution of the type of urban configuration”, “role of motivational/restorative factors during walking trips to reduce the overload of stress and improve mental health”, and “urban design interventions on arrangement of visual sequences during walking”.
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Tharrey M, Darmon N. Urban collective garden participation and health: a systematic literature review of potential benefits for free-living adults. Nutr Rev 2021; 80:6-21. [PMID: 33997887 DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT Collective gardens are increasingly considered a tool to promote health and well-being. OBJECTIVE In this systematic review, we critically appraise quantitative studies exploring the potential health benefits of urban collective garden participation. DATA SOURCES Articles published between January 2000 and August 2020 were used. DATA EXTRACTION All original research studies reporting at least 1 health outcomes associated with urban collective gardening in free-living adults from Western and other high-income countries were included. Of 1261 articles identified, 15 were included in the systematic review. Methodological quality was assessed by applying the criteria of the Quantitative Study Quality Assessment Tool. ANALYSIS A wide range of health indicators was used. Collective gardening was associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption than was nongardening. Mixed results were found for physical activity and physiological health. A positive association was found in most studies with mental health and social health. However, the vast majority of included studies were cross-sectional and presented selection bias (n = 13 of 15 for both) and very few used objective measurement methods (n = 3 of 15). CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal studies allowing the exploration of causal relationships are needed before the health benefits of collective garden participation suggested by existing studies can be confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Tharrey
- M. Tharrey and N. Darmon are with MoISA, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicole Darmon
- M. Tharrey and N. Darmon are with MoISA, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
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Triguero-Mas M, Anguelovski I, García-Lamarca M, Argüelles L, Perez-Del-Pulgar C, Shokry G, Connolly JJT, Cole HVS. Natural outdoor environments' health effects in gentrifying neighborhoods: Disruptive green landscapes for underprivileged neighborhood residents. Soc Sci Med 2021; 279:113964. [PMID: 34020160 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cities are restoring existing natural outdoor environments (NOE) or creating new ones to address diverse socio-environmental and health challenges. The idea that NOE provide health benefits is supported by the therapeutic landscapes concept. However, several scholars suggest that NOE interventions may not equitably serve all urban residents and may be affected by processes such as gentrification. Applying the therapeutic landscapes concept, this study assesses the impacts of gentrification processes on the associations between NOE and the health of underprivileged, often long-term, neighborhood residents. METHODS We examined five neighborhoods in five cities in Canada, the United States and Western Europe. Our case studies were neighborhoods experiencing gentrification processes and NOE interventions. In each city, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews on NOE interventions, equity/justice, gentrification and health (n = 117) with case study neighborhood residents, community-based organizations, neighborhood resident leaders and other stakeholders such as public agencies staff. RESULTS Respondents highlighted a variety of interconnected and overlapping factors: the insufficient benefits of NOE to counterbalance other factors detrimental to health, the use of NOE for city branding and housing marketing despite pollution, unwelcomeness, increase of conflicts, threats to physical displacement for themselves and their social networks, unattractiveness, deficient routes, inadequate NOE maintenance and lack of safety in NOE. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that underprivileged neighborhood residents were perceived to experience new or improved NOE as what we call "disruptive green landscapes" (i.e. non-therapeutic landscapes with which they were not physically or emotionally engaged) instead of as therapeutic landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Triguero-Mas
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Isabelle Anguelovski
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Melissa García-Lamarca
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lucía Argüelles
- Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain; Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Open University of Catalonia (UOC), Barcelona, Spain; Estudis d'Economia i Empresa (EEE), Open University of Catalonia (UOC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Perez-Del-Pulgar
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Galia Shokry
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain
| | - James J T Connolly
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain; School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Helen V S Cole
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain
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Long-Term Development of Urban Agriculture: Resilience and Sustainability of Farmers Facing the Covid-19 Pandemic in Japan. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13084316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has forced global food systems to face unprecedented uncertain shocks even in terms of human health. Urban agriculture is expected to be more resilient because of its short supply chain for urban people and diversified farming activities. However, the short-and long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on urban farms remain unclear. This study aims to reveal the conditions for farm resilience to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the relationship between short-term farm resilience and long-term farm development using data from a survey of 74 farms located in Tokyo. The results are as follows. First, more than half of the sample farms increased their farm sales during this period. This resilience can be called the “persistence” approach. Second, short-term farm resilience and other sustainable farm activities contributed to improving farmers’ intentions for long-term farm development and farmland preservation. Third, the most important resilience attributes were the direct marketing, entrepreneurship, and social networks of farmers. We discussed the necessity of building farmers’ transformative capabilities for a more resilient urban farming system. These results imply that support to enhance the short-term resilience of urban farms is worth more than the short-term profit of the farms.
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Malberg Dyg P, Christensen S, Peterson CJ. Community gardens and wellbeing amongst vulnerable populations: a thematic review. Health Promot Int 2021; 35:790-803. [PMID: 31369084 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daz067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the thematic review is to document the effects of community gardens on wellbeing amongst vulnerable populations. We searched for articles published between 1980 and 2017 in major databases resulting in the inclusion of 51 articles. Vulnerable populations included, amongst others, ethnic minorities and refugees, socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods or low-income or food insecure families. Our findings suggest that community garden participation may have a positive impact on physical health, such as reducing body weight and hypertension, and increasing physical activity and food knowledge. However, findings relating to community gardens and their potential to enhance food security were inconsistent. Furthermore we found that community gardens can have a positive influence both at the individual level (i.e. self-esteem, independence, personal control, etc.), particularly for refugees; the relational and social level (i.e. relationships, social connections, community and neighbourhood). Community garden participation have the potential to enhance wellbeing amongst vulnerable populations. However, two articles in our review presented potential food safety concerns related to community gardens, indicating that, particularly in urban settings, attention must be given to minimizing potential food safety concerns, e.g. by using raised garden beds. Based on this review, we recommend that further research and evaluation on non-US-based community gardens is carried out, as community gardens are practiced globally but there is little research to document the effects of community gardens on wellbeing amongst vulnerable populations outside of the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pernille Malberg Dyg
- University College Copenhagen, Department of Nursing and Nutrition, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Christensen
- Roskilde University, Institute for People and Technology, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Corissa Jade Peterson
- University College Copenhagen, Department of Nursing and Nutrition, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
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15
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Ecosystem Services of Urban Agriculture: Perceptions of Project Leaders, Stakeholders and the General Public. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su122410446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Within the scholarly debate, Urban Agriculture (UA) has been widely acknowledged to provide diverse environmental and socio-cultural ecosystem services (ESs) for cities. However, the question of whether these potential benefits are also recognized as such by the involved societal groups on the ground has not yet been investigated. This paper aims at (1) assessing the perceived ESs of UA, comparing the views of different societal groups in the city of Bologna, Italy (namely: UA project leaders, stakeholders and the general public) and (2) to identify differences in the evaluation of specific UA types (indoor farming, high-tech greenhouses, peri-urban farms, community-supported agriculture, community rooftop garden and urban co-op). In total, 406 individuals evaluated 25 ESs via a standardized Likert-scale survey. The study unveiled similarities and divergences of perceptions among the different societal groups. The statistical analysis indicated that the general public and UA stakeholders agree on the high relevance of socio-cultural ESs, while provisioning ESs was considered as less significant. UA types focusing on social innovation were expected to provide higher socio-cultural ESs whereas peri-urban activities were more closely linked to habitat ESs. We assume that involvement and knowledge of UA are determining factors for valuing the provision of ESs through UA, which needs to be considered for ES valuation, particularly in a policymaking context.
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Kunpeuk W, Spence W, Phulkerd S, Suphanchaimat R, Pitayarangsarit S. The impact of gardening on nutrition and physical health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Promot Int 2020; 35:397-408. [PMID: 30982073 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daz027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Community gardening has been widely recognized as a multicomponent approach that has affected a broad range of health and well-being outcomes. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between community gardening and nutrition and physical health among adults. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. Five electronic databases were searched systematically. Quality of included studies was appraised by several quality assessment tools related to the study design of each included article. Evidence from 19 articles was included (14 cross-sectional studies, 4 quasi-experimental studies and 1 case-control study). Although the majority of included studies appeared to have moderate quality, there existed weaknesses in the methods used, including low response rate and lack of confounder controls. Due to diversity in the measurement units, only body mass index (BMI) data could be pooled to perform meta-analysis. The results suggest that gardening had a significantly positive effect on BMI reduction. Subgroup analysis showed that quasi-experimental and case-control studies produced greater pooled effect size than those of cross-sectional design. Funnel plot and Egger's test showed no significant evidence of publication bias. As robust evidence for the effect of community gardening on BMI reduction was found, this intervention should be integrated in health promoting policy to improve population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Watinee Kunpeuk
- International Health Policy Program (IHPP), Ministry of Public Health, Muang, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.,School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - William Spence
- School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Sirinya Phulkerd
- Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Salaya, Phutthamonthon, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
| | - Rapeepong Suphanchaimat
- International Health Policy Program (IHPP), Ministry of Public Health, Muang, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.,Bureau of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Muang, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
| | - Siriwan Pitayarangsarit
- International Health Policy Program (IHPP), Ministry of Public Health, Muang, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.,Bureau of Non-Communicable Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Muang, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
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17
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Tharrey M, Sachs A, Perignon M, Simon C, Mejean C, Litt J, Darmon N. Improving lifestyles sustainability through community gardening: results and lessons learnt from the JArDinS quasi-experimental study. BMC Public Health 2020; 20:1798. [PMID: 33243204 PMCID: PMC7690132 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-09836-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite an increasing number of studies highlighting the health benefits of community gardening, the literature is limited by cross-sectional designs. The "JArDinS" quasi-experimental study aimed to assess the impact of community garden participation on the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles among French adults. METHODS Individuals entering a community garden in Montpellier (France) in 2018 (n = 66) were compared with pairwise matched individuals with no experience in community gardening (n = 66). Nutritional quality, environmental impact and cost of monthly household food supplies, level of physical activity measured by accelerometers, as well as mental and social well-being, sensitivity to food waste, and connection with nature were evaluated at baseline (t0) and 12 months later (t1) to explore sustainability of lifestyles in social/health, environmental and economic dimensions. Linear mixed models were used to determine the independent effect of community gardening on investigated lifestyles components. In-depth interviews were conducted at t1 with 15 gardeners to better understand changes that may have occurred in gardeners' lives during the first year of gardening. RESULTS At t0, gardeners had lower education level, lower BMI and their household reported lower percentage of meals consumed outside of the home compared to non-gardeners (p < 0.05). Participating in the community garden had no significant impact, in spite of sufficient statistical power, on fruit and vegetables supplies (main outcome), nor on physical activity parameters, nor on others of the social/health, environmental and economic lifestyles components investigated. Qualitative interviews suggested the existence of pre-established health and environmental consciousness in some gardeners and revealed several barriers to the participation such as lack of time, lack of gardening knowledge, physical difficulty of gardening, health problems and conflicts with other gardeners. CONCLUSIONS The health benefits of community gardening previously reported by cross-sectional studies might be confounded by selection bias. The JArDinS study highlights the need to identify solutions to overcome barriers related to community garden participation when designing relevant public health interventions for the promotion of sustainable lifestyles. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03694782 . Date of registration: 3rd October 2018, retrospectively registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Tharrey
- MOISA, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France.
| | - Ashby Sachs
- University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Marlène Perignon
- MOISA, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Chantal Simon
- CarMen Laboratory, INSERM 1060, INRA 1397, University of Lyon, F-69600, Oullins, France
| | - Caroline Mejean
- MOISA, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Jill Litt
- University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nicole Darmon
- MOISA, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
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18
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Triguero-Mas M, Anguelovski I, Cirac-Claveras J, Connolly J, Vazquez A, Urgell-Plaza F, Cardona-Giralt N, Sanyé-Mengual E, Alonso J, Cole H. Quality of Life Benefits of Urban Rooftop Gardening for People With Intellectual Disabilities or Mental Health Disorders. Prev Chronic Dis 2020; 17:E126. [PMID: 33059797 PMCID: PMC7587297 DOI: 10.5888/pcd17.200087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The number of urban community gardens, including those on rooftops, is increasing. However, few studies have explored the benefits of these gardens for people with intellectual disabilities or mental health disorders. We evaluated the association between urban rooftop gardening and quality of life of individuals with moderate to very marked disability. Methods We collected quality of life information with a preliminary version of the INTEGRAL Scale questionnaire from all gardeners (n = 54) and among a comparison group of nongardeners (n = 43). We also conducted semi-structured interviews with participants and technicians, and made field observations. Results Our results indicated that urban rooftop gardening was associated with better personal development and suggested enhanced physical and emotional well-being, sense of purpose, social inclusion, interpersonal relations (including new perspectives on the urban environment and the changes in social roles), and general quality of life. Conclusion Our study extends the evidence on the potential benefits of urban rooftop gardening in general, and specifically for those with intellectual disabilities and mental health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Triguero-Mas
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, C/ Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain. .,Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain.,Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabelle Anguelovski
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain.,Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain.,ICREA (Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Judith Cirac-Claveras
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain.,Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain
| | - James Connolly
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain.,Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Vazquez
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ferran Urgell-Plaza
- Municipal Institute for People with Disabilities, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Cardona-Giralt
- Municipal Institute for People with Disabilities, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jordi Alonso
- IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Helen Cole
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain.,Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, Barcelona, Spain
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19
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Honey-Rosés J, Anguelovski I, Chireh VK, Daher C, Konijnendijk van den Bosch C, Litt JS, Mawani V, McCall MK, Orellana A, Oscilowicz E, Sánchez U, Senbel M, Tan X, Villagomez E, Zapata O, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ. The impact of COVID-19 on public space: an early review of the emerging questions – design, perceptions and inequities. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/23748834.2020.1780074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Honey-Rosés
- School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Isabelle Anguelovski
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) Bellaterra`, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vincent K. Chireh
- Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Carolyn Daher
- IS Global, Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jill S. Litt
- IS Global, Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Vrushti Mawani
- School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael K. McCall
- Centro de Investigaciones en Geografía Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Arturo Orellana
- Instituto de Estudios Urbanos y Territoriales, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Emilia Oscilowicz
- School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Maged Senbel
- School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Xueqi Tan
- School of Humanities, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Erick Villagomez
- School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Oscar Zapata
- Department of Economics, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada
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20
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Characterizing Urban Home Gardening and Associated Factors to Shape Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Non-Farmers in Thailand. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17155400. [PMID: 32727089 PMCID: PMC7432208 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17155400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between home gardening and sufficient fruit and vegetable (FV) intake among non-farmers in Thailand, and examine the influence of socio-demographic characteristics and other associated factors on home gardening among non-farmers in urban areas. Data were collected by a cross-sectional survey of a sample of Thai non-farmers (N = 5634). Information on self-reported home gardening, FV intake, health-related behaviors, and socio-demographic characteristics was collected via questionnaire. The findings show that home gardening is significantly associated with sufficient FV intake among non-farmers (p < 0.001). Within the non-farmer group who lived in urban areas, 9% gardened FV at home. Home gardening was significantly associated with socio-demographic characteristics (sex, age and occupation), physical activity, fear of pesticide contamination of FV, and FV safety awareness among the urban non-farmers. Respondents who were female, in the middle-adulthood group, practiced regular physical activity, feared pesticide contamination, and had high awareness of FV safety had the highest probability of gardening at home (p < 0.05, p < 0.001, p < 0.01, p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively). The Thai government should pay more attention to factors that influence urban home gardening by providing support, building local capacity, and implementing effective interventions with the urban population.
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21
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Gascon M, Harrall KK, Beavers AW, Glueck DH, Stanislawski MA, Alaimo K, Villalobos A, Hebert JR, Dexter K, Li K, Litt J. Feasibility of collection and analysis of microbiome data in a longitudinal randomized trial of community gardening. Future Microbiol 2020; 15:633-648. [PMID: 32495698 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2019-0195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: We explored the feasibility of collecting and analyzing human microbiome data in a longitudinal randomized controlled trial of community gardening. Methods & materials: Participants were randomly assigned to gardening (N = 8) or control (N = 8). Participants provided stool, mouth, hand and forehead microbiome samples at six timepoints. Analyses combined mixed models with Qiita output. Results: Participant satisfaction was high, with 75% of participants completing evaluations. While no microbial effects were statistically significant due to small sample size, the analysis pipeline utility was tested. Conclusion: Longitudinal collection and analysis of microbiome data in a community gardening randomized controlled trial is feasible. The analysis pipeline will be useful in larger studies for assessment of the pathway between microbiota, gardening and health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireia Gascon
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kylie K Harrall
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes Center, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO 800455, USA
| | - Alyssa W Beavers
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 488246, USA
| | - Deborah H Glueck
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 800457, USA
| | - Maggie A Stanislawski
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 800458, USA
| | - Katherine Alaimo
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 488246, USA
| | - Angel Villalobos
- Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 488246, USA
| | - James R Hebert
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Colombia, SC 8030310, USA
| | - Kelsey Dexter
- Department of Endocrinology, University of Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 2920811, USA
| | - Kaigang Li
- Department of Health & Exercise Science, Colorado State University, CO 8004512, USA
| | - Jill Litt
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain.,Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 488246, USA
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22
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The Motivation of Urban Gardens in Mountain Areas. The Case of South Tyrol. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12104304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Urban gardens have attracted considerable academic attention in recent years. Several studies have, in fact, emphasized their positive contribution in terms of social integration, community health, urban regeneration, and food security, and explored individual gardeners´ motivations behind these practices. While these topics are well-documented with reference to metropolitan urban areas, few studies have been carried out in relation to other contexts such as mountain areas. This limited interest is probably due to the reduced urbanization of these areas, a preference for other forms of horticulture (essentially those practiced in people’s own homes) or the use of different solutions to mitigate the negative effects of social problems. The recent proliferation of urban gardens in South Tyrol (IT) makes this mountain province an interesting laboratory for practices and narratives associated with socially innovative urban gardening experiences. This paper presents a characterization of all urban gardening initiatives in South Tyrol through cartographical representation. It explains gardeners´ and public institutions´ motivations, as well as non-gardeners’ perceptions of urban gardening. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the various South Tyrolean municipalities where urban gardening projects have been undertaken. The results suggest the great importance of the social and environmental aspect of urban gardens, and an interest in reconnecting with food practices even when food access is not a priority.
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Are Community Gardening and Horticultural Interventions Beneficial for Psychosocial Well-Being? A Meta-Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17103584. [PMID: 32443769 PMCID: PMC7277687 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17103584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent literature has revealed the positive effect of gardening on human health; however, empirical evidence on the effects of gardening-based programs on psychosocial well-being is scant. This meta-analysis aims to examine the scientific literature on the effect of community gardening or horticultural interventions on a variety of outcomes related to psychosocial well-being, such as social cohesion, networking, social support, and trust. From 383 bibliographic records retrieved (from 1975 to 2019), seven studies with a total of 22 effect sizes were selected on the basis of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Meta-analytic findings on 11 comparisons indicate a positive and moderate effect of horticultural or gardening interventions on psychosocial well-being. Moderation analysis shows a greater effect size in individualistic than collectivistic cultures. A greater effect size was also observed in studies involving community gardening compared to horticultural intervention. Nevertheless, an effect of publication bias and study heterogeneity has been detected. Despite the presence of a large number of qualitative studies on the effect of horticulture/gardening on psychosocial well-being, quantitative studies are lacking. There is a strong need to advance into further high-quality studies on this research topic given that gardening has promising applied implications for human health, the community, and sustainable city management.
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Machida D, Kushida O. The Influence of Food Production Experience on Dietary Knowledge, Awareness, Behaviors, and Health among Japanese: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17030924. [PMID: 32024258 PMCID: PMC7037670 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17030924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to reveal the influence of food production experience on dietary knowledge, dietary awareness, dietary behaviors, and health among Japanese populations. We conducted a systematic review of articles published between January 2000 and September 2018 (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019117163) using the following four databases: PubMed, Web of Science, CiNii, and ICHUSHI. The search formulas were created by combining search terms “agricultural experience,” “garden,” “diet,” “food,” “physical activity,” “health,” and “well-being.” The articles were identified by titles, abstracts, and whole texts. We evaluated the content of the articles that met the adoption criteria. We included original articles from peer-reviewed scientific journals, articles written in Japanese or English, observational or interventional studies with statistical analyses, and articles targeting general Japanese people (except for those targeting patients or disabled) to examine the relationship according to the purpose of this review. Nineteen articles met the study criteria, including 10 cross-sectional studies, one retrospective study, seven pre–post studies, and three non-randomized controlled trials. Two studies combined multiple research designs. Thus, food production experiences were suggested to have a positive influence on dietary knowledge, dietary awareness, food preference, dietary behaviors, and mental health among the Japanese. However, the overall quality of the included studies was low. Further verification with randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Machida
- Department of Health and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Welfare, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, Takasaki, Gunma 370-0033, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-27-352-1290
| | - Osamu Kushida
- Department of Nutrition and Life Sciences, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan;
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Ahn S, Zhang H, Berlin KS, Levy M, Kabra R. Adverse childhood experiences and childhood obesity: a path analysis approach. CHILDRENS HEALTH CARE 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/02739615.2019.1697928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- SangNam Ahn
- The Division of Health Systems Management and Policy, The University of Memphis School of Public Health, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- The Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, The University of Memphis School of Public Health, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kristoffer S. Berlin
- The Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Marian Levy
- The Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Memphis School of Public Health, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Richa Kabra
- Department of Clinical Integration, West Cancer Centre, Memphis, TN, USA
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Nature-Based Social Prescribing in Urban Settings to Improve Social Connectedness and Mental Well-being: a Review. Curr Environ Health Rep 2019; 6:297-308. [DOI: 10.1007/s40572-019-00251-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Palar K, Lemus Hufstedler E, Hernandez K, Chang A, Ferguson L, Lozano R, Weiser SD. Nutrition and Health Improvements After Participation in an Urban Home Garden Program. JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 51:1037-1046. [PMID: 31601420 PMCID: PMC6949143 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2019.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To elucidate the perceived health benefits of an urban home gardening and nutritional education program in a population at high cardiometabolic risk. DESIGN Qualitative data collected via in-depth, semistructured interviews in Spanish or English. SETTING Community-based program offering supported urban home gardening together with nutrition education in Santa Clara County, CA. PARTICIPANTS A total of 32 purposively sampled low-income participants in an urban home gardening program. Participants were primarily female (n = 24) and Latino/a (n = 22). PHENOMENON OF INTEREST Perceptions of the nutrition and health benefits of education-enhanced urban home gardening. ANALYSIS Bilingual researchers coded transcripts using a hybrid inductive and deductive approach. Two coders double coded at intervals, independently reviewed coding reports, organized content into key themes, and selected exemplary quotations. RESULTS The most salient perceived impacts were greater food access, increased consumption of fresh produce, a shift toward home cooking, and decreased fast food consumption. Participants attributed these changes to greater affordability, freshness, flavor, and convenience of their garden produce; increased health motivation owing to pride in their gardens; and improved nutritional knowledge. Participants also reported improved physical activity, mental health, and stress management; some reported improved weight and adherence to diabetes-healthy diets. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Education-enhanced urban home gardening may facilitate multidimensional nutrition and health improvements in marginalized populations at high cardiometabolic risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kartika Palar
- Division of HIV, Infectious Disease, and Global Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.
| | - Emiliano Lemus Hufstedler
- Division of HIV, Infectious Disease, and Global Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; University of California, Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Karen Hernandez
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Annie Chang
- University of California, Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Laura Ferguson
- Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | | | - Sheri D Weiser
- Division of HIV, Infectious Disease, and Global Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Institute for Global Health, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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Tabatabaie S, Litt JS, Carrico A. A Study of Perceived Nature, Shade and Trees and Self-Reported Physical Activity in Denver. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16193604. [PMID: 31561482 PMCID: PMC6801867 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16193604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
(1) Background: Current evidence on the association between greenery and physical activity (PA) remains inconsistent. Most studies on this association use objective measures of greenness, which do not reveal people’s perceptions of greenness in neighborhoods, or the role of quality components of greenness, such as shade, trees, and the presence of nature on this association. (2) Methods: Drawing on data from the Neighborhood Environment and Health Survey—a cross-sectional population-based survey of Denver residents in 2007—we examined which measures of greenness (perceived and objective) correlated with the self-reported PA. We also assessed how components of perceived greenness, shade, trees and the presence of nature, correlated with PA. (3) Results: Perceived greenness, reflecting perception of trees, shade and the presence of nature, was positively associated with reported moderate–vigorous PA. Conclusion: Findings provide evidence that quality aspects of greenness affect people’s perception of the neighborhood in a way that relates to PA. The individual contributions of shade, trees, and the presence of nature in this association should be analyzed in future studies. Understanding the link between shade and trees and PA has implications for how to plan for walkability and sun safety at the neighborhood scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Tabatabaie
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
| | - Jill S Litt
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
| | - Amanda Carrico
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
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Audate PP, Fernandez MA, Cloutier G, Lebel A. Scoping review of the impacts of urban agriculture on the determinants of health. BMC Public Health 2019; 19:672. [PMID: 31151393 PMCID: PMC6545001 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6885-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There has been an increasing interest in urban agriculture (UA) practice and research in recent years. Scholars have already reported numerous beneficial and potential adverse impacts of UA on health-related outcomes. This scoping review aims to explore these impacts and identify knowledge gaps for future UA studies. Methods A systematic search was conducted in seven electronic bibliographic databases to identify relevant peer-reviewed studies. Articles were screened and assessed for eligibility. From eligible studies, data were extracted to summarize, collate, appraise the quality and make a narrative account of the findings. Results A total of 101 articles (51 quantitative, 29 qualitative, and 21 mixed methods studies) were included in our final analysis. Among these articles, 38 and 37% reported findings from North America and Sub-Saharan Africa respectively. Quantitative studies revealed evidence of positive impacts of UA on food security, nutrition outcomes, physical and mental health outcomes, and social capital. The qualitative studies reported a wide range of perceived benefits and motivations of UA. The most frequently reported benefits include contributions to social capital, food security, health and/or wellbeing. However, the evidence must be interpreted with caution since the quality of most of the studies was assessed as weak to moderate. While no definitive conclusions can be drawn about the adverse impacts of UA on health, paying particular attention to contamination of UA soil is recommended. Conclusion More peer-reviewed studies are needed in areas where UA is practiced such as Latin America and Caribbean. The inconsistency and the lack of strong quality in the methodology of the included studies are proof that more rigorous studies are also needed in future research. Nevertheless, the substantial existing evidence from this review corroborate that UA can influence different determinants of health such as food security, social capital, health and well-being in a variety of contexts. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6885-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Paul Audate
- Graduate School of Land Management and Regional Planning, Faculty of Planning, Architecture, Art and Design, Laval University, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada. .,Centre for Research on Planning and Development (CRAD), Laval University, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Melissa A Fernandez
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada.,School of Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Laval University, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Geneviève Cloutier
- Graduate School of Land Management and Regional Planning, Faculty of Planning, Architecture, Art and Design, Laval University, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Centre for Research on Planning and Development (CRAD), Laval University, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Alexandre Lebel
- Graduate School of Land Management and Regional Planning, Faculty of Planning, Architecture, Art and Design, Laval University, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Centre for Research on Planning and Development (CRAD), Laval University, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Evaluation Platform on Obesity Prevention, Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec, G1V 4G5, Canada
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Farm Diversification and Sustainability of Multifunctional Peri-Urban Agriculture: Entrepreneurial Attributes of Advanced Diversification in Japan. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11102887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Multifunctionality of urban agriculture is essential for the sustainability of both cities and urban farms, especially in Asian mega-cities exhibiting extensive urban sprawl. To maximise the multifunctionality of these farms, entrepreneurial or innovative farm diversification is important. However, there is insufficient research on this issue in developed countries. This study aims to demonstrate the existence of advanced diversified farms characterised by entrepreneurship, skilled farm management and social networks and explore their economic and social sustainability by using data from a survey of 386 farms located close to urban areas in Japan. Gaussian mixture clustering analysis revealed that only about 10% of the sample can be classified as advanced diversified farms and most of the other diversified farms do not exhibit entrepreneurial attributes. Furthermore, regression analysis revealed that advanced diversification has a positive impact not only on the economic viability of farms, but also on their social performance. These findings have significant implications for policies promoting the sustainability of urban agriculture, suggesting that a more balanced promotion of the diversification and entrepreneurial attributes of farms is crucial to building a sustainable relationship between cities and urban agriculture.
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Tharrey M, Perignon M, Scheromm P, Mejean C, Darmon N. Does participating in community gardens promote sustainable lifestyles in urban settings? Design and protocol of the JArDinS study. BMC Public Health 2019; 19:589. [PMID: 31101095 PMCID: PMC6525470 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6815-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite growing evidence for the multiple health benefits of community gardening, longitudinal studies based on quantitative data are needed. Here we describe the protocol of JArDinS, a quasi-experimental study, aimed at assessing the impact of community garden participation (a natural experiment) in the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles. Methods Gardeners (n = 80) starting gardening in a community garden in Montpellier (France) will be recruited. Volunteers with no experience in community gardening and matched for age range, gender, household income and household composition will be recruited in a control group (n = 80). The sustainability of lifestyles in its social/health, environmental and economic dimensions will be assessed from a food supply diary (recording type, quantity and price of foods acquired in a 1-month period and the carbon impact of relevant food trips), a triaxial accelerometer (measuring physical activity) and online questionnaires on mental and social health, sensitivity to food waste, and connection with nature. Change of outcomes after 1 year will be compared between the natural experiment and the control groups. Discussion This study will provide information on the impact of participation in a community garden on the different dimensions of sustainability, based on a robust quasi-experimental design allowing causality evaluation. Trial registration The JArDinS study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03694782. Date of registration: 3rd October 2018, retrospectively registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Tharrey
- MOISA, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France.
| | - Marlène Perignon
- MOISA, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
| | - Pascale Scheromm
- INNOVATION, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
| | - Caroline Mejean
- MOISA, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicole Darmon
- MOISA, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
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Relationship between Community or Home Gardening and Health of the Elderly: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey in Japan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16081389. [PMID: 30999687 PMCID: PMC6517951 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16081389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
There have been many reports indicating the relationship between gardening and health or healthy lifestyles among adults in developed countries all over the world. However, Japanese evidence is lacking. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between community or home gardening and health status or a healthy lifestyle using a web-based survey with Japanese elderly living in the community. A survey was conducted to gather data from 500 gardeners and 500 nongardeners aged 60 to 69. As a result, significant relationships were shown between community gardening and exercise habits, physical activity, eating vegetables, and connections with neighbors. Moreover, the significant relationships between home gardening and the following items were indicated: Subjective happiness, exercise habits, physical activity, sitting time, eating breakfast, eating vegetables, eating balanced meals, and connections with neighbors. No item demonstrated a significant relationship with gardening frequency. A significant relationship was demonstrated between gardening duration and health problems affecting everyday life. Further significant relationships were shown between gardening with others and subjective happiness, having a reason for living. In conclusion, promising positive relationships between community or home gardening and health or healthy lifestyles were indicated.
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Asai Y, Obayashi K, Oume M, Ogura M, Takeuchi K, Yamagami Y, Tai Y, Kurumatani N, Saeki K. Farming habit, light exposure, physical activity, and depressive symptoms. A cross-sectional study of the HEIJO-KYO cohort. J Affect Disord 2018; 241:235-240. [PMID: 30138807 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bright light therapy and exercise interventions are effective methods for treating seasonal and non-seasonal affective disorders. Synchronization of internal circadian rhythms with the external environment by light therapy and physical activity may partly explain its efficacy. In the present study, we objectively measured daytime light exposure and physical activity in real life situations with elderly participants, and investigated the association between farming habits and the prevalence of depressive symptoms. METHODS This cross-sectional was conducted among 1005 participants (mean age: 71.5) of a community-based cohort study. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS score ≥ 6) and administration of antidepressant. RESULTS Farming habit with long duration (> 7.0 h/week) showed significantly lower odds ratios (OR) for depressive symptoms (adjusted OR 0.63, 95% confidential interval,0.41 to 0.96) compared with participants without farming habit independent of confounders such as age, gender, body mass index smoking, drinking, daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure, diabetes, living alone, education, income, and daylength. Even in farming with short duration (≤ 7.0 h/week), we found significant association with lower OR for depressive symptoms (adjusted OR 0.64, 95%CI, 0.42 to 0.97). Light exposure and daytime physical activity measured by wrist actigraphy were significantly higher among participants with longer farming habits (p for trend < 0.01). Physical activity mediated 12.0% of association between farming habit and depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS A cross-sectional association may be found because the participants with depressive symptoms tended to avoid farming. A longitudinal study is warranted to determine the direction of causality. CONCLUSIONS Participants with farming habit showed significantly lower OR for depressive symptoms than those without farming habit, and it was partly mediated by physical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuji Asai
- Department of Epidemiology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara, Japan
| | - Kenji Obayashi
- Department of Epidemiology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara, Japan
| | - Masataka Oume
- Department of Epidemiology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara, Japan
| | - Moe Ogura
- Department of Epidemiology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara, Japan
| | - Katsuya Takeuchi
- Department of Epidemiology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara, Japan
| | - Yuki Yamagami
- Department of Epidemiology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Tai
- Department of Epidemiology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara, Japan; Department of General Medicine, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara, Japan
| | - Norio Kurumatani
- Department of Epidemiology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara, Japan
| | - Keigo Saeki
- Department of Epidemiology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara, Japan.
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Heilmayr D, Friedman HS. Cultivating healthy trajectories: An experimental study of community gardening and health. J Health Psychol 2018; 25:2418-2427. [PMID: 30238812 DOI: 10.1177/1359105318800784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in behavioral medicine suggest that optimal solutions to modern health challenges should be multifaceted, targeting multiple cognitions and behaviors simultaneously. Community gardening holds great promise as one such multifaceted intervention but lacks rigorous evidence of efficacy. We present one of the first experimental studies on the topic. The results revealed promise for aspects of community gardening, but also suggest the necessity for the use of rigorous methodologies moving forward. In addition, this article provides a framework for studying the effects of community gardening and similar multifaceted health promotion efforts.
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Porter CM. What gardens grow: Outcomes from home and community gardens supported by community-based food justice organizations. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD SYSTEMS, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 2018; 8:187-205. [PMID: 30766760 PMCID: PMC6372235 DOI: 10.5304/jafscd.2018.08a.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Supporting home and community gardening is a core activity of many community-based organizations (CBOs) that are leading the food justice movement in the U.S. Using mixed methods across multiple action-research studies with five food justice CBOs, this paper documents myriad layers of benefits that gardening yields. Our participatory methods included conducting extensive case studies with five CBOs over five years; quantifying food harvests with 33 gardeners in Laramie, Wyoming, and surveying them about other gardening outcomes (20 responded); and conducting feasibility studies for assessing health impacts of gardening with two of the five CBOs, both in Wyoming. Analyses of these diverse data yielded four categories of gardening benefits: (1) improving health; (2) producing quality food in nutritionally meaningful quantities; (3) providing cultural services; and (4) fostering healing and transformation. Examining these results together illustrates a breadth of health, food, and cultural ecosystem services, and social change yields of home and community food gardening in these communities. It also points to the need to support CBOs in enabling household food production and to future research questions about what CBO strategies most enhance access to and benefits of gardening, especially in communities most hurt by racism and/or insufficient access to fresh food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M. Porter
- Associate professor and Wyoming Excellence Chair of Community and Public Health; Food Dignity and Growing Resilience Principal Investigator; Division of Kinesiology & Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Wyoming; 1000 East University Avenue, Department 3196; Laramie, WY 82071 USA;
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36
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The Role of Urban Agriculture as a Nature-Based Solution: A Review for Developing a Systemic Assessment Framework. SUSTAINABILITY 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/su10061937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Wildman JM, Moffatt S, Pearce M. Quality of life at the retirement transition: Life course pathways in an early 'baby boom' birth cohort. Soc Sci Med 2018; 207:11-18. [PMID: 29723829 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Promoting quality of life (QoL) in later life is an important policy goal. However, studies using prospective data to explore the mechanisms by which earlier events influence QoL in older age are lacking. This study is the first to use prospective data to investigate pathways by which a range of measures of life-course socioeconomic status contribute to later-life QoL. The study uses data from the Newcastle Thousand Families Study cohort (N = 1142), an early 'baby-boom' birth cohort born in 1947 in Newcastle upon Tyne, an industrial city in north-east England. Using prospective survey data collected between birth and later adulthood (N = 393), a path analysis investigated the effects and relative contributions of a range of life-course socioeconomic factors to QoL at age 62-64 measured using the CASP-19 scale. Strong positive effects on later-life QoL were found for advantaged occupational status in mid-life and better self-reported health, employment and mortgage-freedom in later adulthood. Significant positive indirect effects on QoL were found from social class at birth and achieved education level, mediated through later-life socioeconomic advantage. Experiencing no adverse events by age five had a large total positive effect on QoL at age 62-64, comprising a direct effect and indirect effects, mediated through education, mid-life social class and later-life self-reported health. Results support a pathway model with the effects of factors in earlier life acting via later-life factors, and an accumulation model with earlier-life factors having large total, cumulative effects on later-life QoL. The presence of a direct effect of adverse childhood events by age five on QoL suggests a 'critical period' and indicates that policies across the life-course are needed to promote later-life QoL, with policies directed towards older adults perhaps too late to 'undo the damage' of earlier adverse events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mark Pearce
- Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, UK
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38
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Schram-Bijkerk D, Otte P, Dirven L, Breure AM. Indicators to support healthy urban gardening in urban management. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 621:863-871. [PMID: 29216594 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Urban gardening is part of a trend towards more parks and green areas in cities, consumption of organic, locally grown products, and a closer relationship with one's own living environment. Our literature review shows that urban gardens provide opportunities for physical activity and allow people to consume homegrown fruit and vegetables. Urban gardens may also reduce stress levels of gardeners and improve social cohesion. In this way, they can help to prevent health problems. Good quality of urban soil and the functioning of soil ecosystems are indispensable prerequisites for these. We developed a framework that shows how ecosystem health and human health are interconnected in urban gardening, by placing it in the context of urban green space management and valuation. This study yields a set of indicators, which can be used to assess soil ecosystem services and health impacts. They may provide a basis for the evolving dialogue in decision-making processes and partnership activities in urban management. Recognizing the potential effects and discussing what is important to whom, might be enough to find synergies. Importantly, the initiators of urban gardens are often citizens, who seek support from other stakeholders. The social network established by gardens may contribute to health-enabling, cohesive communities involved with their living environment. To maximize health benefits, it is useful to make the urban gardens accessible to many people. This study suggests that urban gardens deserve a position in urban green space management as they may help to address societal challenges like urbanization, health and well-being in aging populations and climate adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieneke Schram-Bijkerk
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Piet Otte
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Liesbet Dirven
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Anton M Breure
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, Bilthoven, The Netherlands; Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Alaimo K, Beavers AW, Crawford C, Snyder EH, Litt JS. Amplifying Health Through Community Gardens: A Framework for Advancing Multicomponent, Behaviorally Based Neighborhood Interventions. Curr Environ Health Rep 2018; 3:302-12. [PMID: 27379424 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-016-0105-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The article presents a framework for understanding the relationship between community garden participation, and the myriad ways gardens and participation lead to emotional, social, and health impacts. Existing empirical research relating community gardens to health behaviors, such as physical activity and diet, and longer-term chronic disease-related outcomes is summarized. The research areas discussed include the effects of community garden participation on individual, social, emotional, and environmental processes; health behaviors including diet and physical activity; and health outcomes such as self-rated health, obesity, and mental health. Other mechanisms through which community gardens may affect population health are described. Applying a multitheoretical lens to explore associations between community garden participation and health enables us to delineate key aspects of gardening that elicit positive health behaviors and multifactorial health assets that could be applied to designing other types of health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Alaimo
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, G. Malcolm Trout Building, Room 208C, 469 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Alyssa W Beavers
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, G. Malcolm Trout Building, Room 208C, 469 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Hodges Snyder
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Drive, DPL 405, Anchorage, AK, 99508-4614, USA
| | - Jill S Litt
- University of Colorado Boulder, 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA.
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Litt JS, Lambert JR, Glueck DH. Gardening and age-related weight gain: Results from a cross-sectional survey of Denver residents. Prev Med Rep 2017; 8:221-225. [PMID: 29159017 PMCID: PMC5683668 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2017.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2017] [Revised: 10/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examined whether gardening modifies the association between age and body mass index (BMI). We used data from the Neighborhood Environments and Health Survey, which was conducted in Denver (N = 469) between 2006 and 2007. We fit two general linear mixed models. The base model had BMI in kg/m2 as the outcome, and age, an indicator variable for non-gardening status and the age-by-non-gardening status interaction as predictors. The adjusted model included as covariates the potential confounders of education, ethnicity and self-reported health. We assessed self-selection bias and confounding. BMI was 27.18 kg/m2 for non-gardeners, 25.62 kg/m2 for home gardeners, and 24.17 kg/m2 for community gardeners. In the base model, a statistically significant association was observed between age and BMI for non-gardeners but not for the combined community and home gardening group (F = 9.27, ndf = 1, ddf = 441, p = 0.0025). In the adjusted model, the association between age and BMI in non-gardeners was not statistically significant (F = 1.72, ndf = 1, ddf = 431, p = 0.1908). Gardeners differed on social and demographic factors when compared to non-gardeners. The results from the base model are consistent with the hypothesis that gardening might offset age-related weight gain. However, the cross-sectional design does not permit differentiation of true causal effects from the possible effects of bias and confounding. As a follow-up study, to remove bias and confounding, we are conducting a randomized clinical trial of community gardening in Denver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill S. Litt
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado Boulder, 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO 80303, United States
| | - Jeffrey Richard Lambert
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, 13001 E. 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, United States
| | - Deborah H. Glueck
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, 13001 E. 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, United States
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Hardin-Fanning F, Adegboyega AO, Rayens MK. Adolescents' Perceptions of a Gardening Activity at a Juvenile Justice Center. J Holist Nurs 2017; 36:170-178. [PMID: 29172959 DOI: 10.1177/0898010117707865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to elicit participants' ( N = 16) perceptions of a gardening activity at a juvenile justice center and to determine whether past exposure to gardening and farmers markets was associated with their perceptions of the gardening experience. DESIGN This cross-sectional, exploratory program evaluation was conducted in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. Adolescents completing the Cadet Leadership and Education Program participated in gardening in order to provide produce to a local farmers' market. METHOD After the growing season, participants were asked to complete a nine-item questionnaire about the gardening activity during one of their usual classes at the facility. The questionnaire assessed perception of the experience and past exposure to gardening and farmers' markets. FINDINGS Participants reported favorably about their participation in the activity, knowledge gained from the activity, and their intent to garden in the future. Those who had previously gardened had more favorable perception of gardening than those who had never gardened. Gardening is an inexpensive means of teaching teamwork and delayed gratification and providing a sense of empowerment and may benefit at-risk adolescents during incarceration.
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Martin P, Consalès JN, Scheromm P, Marchand P, Ghestem F, Darmon N. Community gardening in poor neighborhoods in France: A way to re-think food practices? Appetite 2017; 116:589-598. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Zijlema WL, Triguero-Mas M, Smith G, Cirach M, Martinez D, Dadvand P, Gascon M, Jones M, Gidlow C, Hurst G, Masterson D, Ellis N, van den Berg M, Maas J, van Kamp I, van den Hazel P, Kruize H, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Julvez J. The relationship between natural outdoor environments and cognitive functioning and its mediators. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 155:268-275. [PMID: 28254708 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urban residents may experience cognitive fatigue and little opportunity for mental restoration due to a lack of access to nature. Natural outdoor environments (NOE) are thought to be beneficial for cognitive functioning, but underlying mechanisms are not clear. OBJECTIVES To investigate the long-term association between NOE and cognitive function, and its potential mediators. METHODS This cross-sectional study was based on adult participants of the Positive Health Effects of the Natural Outdoor Environment in Typical Populations in Different Regions in Europe (PHENOTYPE) project. Data were collected in Barcelona, Spain; Doetinchem, the Netherlands; and Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom. We assessed residential distance to NOE, residential surrounding greenness, perceived amount of neighborhood NOE, and engagement with NOE. Cognitive function was assessed with the Color Trails Test (CTT). Mediation analysis was undertaken following Baron and Kenny. RESULTS Each 100m increase in residential distance to NOE was associated with a longer CTT completion time of 1.50% (95% CI 0.13, 2.89). No associations were found for other NOE indicators and cognitive function. Neighborhood social cohesion was (marginally) significantly associated with both residential distance to NOE and CTT completion time, but no evidence for mediation was found. Nor were there indications for mediation by physical activity, social interaction with neighbors, loneliness, mental health, air pollution worries, or noise annoyance. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide some indication that proximity to nature may benefit cognitive function. We could not establish which mechanisms may explain this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilma L Zijlema
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Margarita Triguero-Mas
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Graham Smith
- Staffordshire University, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK
| | - Marta Cirach
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - David Martinez
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Payam Dadvand
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mireia Gascon
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marc Jones
- Staffordshire University, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK
| | | | - Gemma Hurst
- Staffordshire University, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK
| | | | - Naomi Ellis
- Staffordshire University, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK
| | - Magdalena van den Berg
- Department of Public & Occupational Health and EMGO Institute for Health and Care research, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jolanda Maas
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Irene van Kamp
- RIVM, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | | | - Hanneke Kruize
- RIVM, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Mark J Nieuwenhuijsen
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Julvez
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
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