improving nutrition through school and community gardens jill a nolan, phd assistant professor of...
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Improving Nutrition Through School and Community Gardens
Jill A Nolan, PhDAssistant Professor of Health EducationConcord University
KidStrong ConferenceCharleston WVJune 12, 2013
Childhood Obesity
• West Virginia has one the highest rates of Childhood obesity nationally
• An estimated 45.5% of WV 5th graders are overweight or obese (CARDIAC)
• Children in Rural areas have been found to be at increased risk for overweight and obesity (Patterson, 2004)
Obesogenic Environment
• Historically, Thin Population (Long, 2012)
• Elevated rates of Poverty
• How does the Environment in WV Support• Inactivity?• Poor Nutrition?
Fruits and Vegetables
• Essential for good nutrition• Struggle for children raised on
processed foods
•How to improve fruit and vegetable consumption?? • Increase Availability and Accessibility • School-based programs (Blanchette & Brug, 2005)
School Gardening Benefits
• Quantitative findings: • Fruit and vegetable consumption• Variety (Ratcliffe, et al., 2011)
• Science scores• Qualitative findings:• Pleased and motivated students• Improved school attitude and Price• Parent involvement • Community building (Blair, 2009)
Traditional School Gardens
• Located at the School• Built into the current curriculum (science and
Health)• Incorporate community involvement• Students are involved:• Soil health --Planting• Composting --Fertilizing• Plant selection --harvesting
Child Gardening Options
• Green House• Low tunnel• High tunnel
• Summer School
Child Gardening Options• Kids Garden Project (citation)• Kingwood WV• Children Grow Individual
Gardens
• Edible Forest Gardens• Mimic forest ecosystem• Grow food, fuel, fiber,
etc.
Child Gardening Options
• Daycare • Benefit of having children year-round• Target children during “picky” years
Influential factors• Teacher motivation
• Teacher knowledge
• Teacher experience
• Dedicated time
• Community involvement
Getting Started!
• Evaluate Available Space• Identify resources/partnerships• Check Soil Health• Design Challenge• Plant Palette• Build and use your garden (USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative)
Discussion Groups
• Daycare/Prek• Elementary•Middle/High School• Higher Education• Community
References • Blair, D. (2009) The child in the garden: An evaluative review of the benefits of school gardening. The Journal
of Environmental Education, 40(2), 15-38.• Blanchette, L. & Brug, J. (2005). Determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption among 6-12-year-old
children and effective interventions to increase consumption. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 18(6), 431-443.
• CARDIAC. Retrieved on May 13, 2013 from: http://www.cardiacwv.org/results.php • Komosinski, M., Nolan, J., O’Hara Tompkins, N., Drake, B., et al. Growing Healthy Habits in Rural West Virginia
Communities: Evaluation of the Kingwood Kids Garden Project. Presented at the American Public Health Associations XXX annual meeting in Denver, , CO.
• Long, K. (2012) The Shape We’re In. Charleston Gazette, retrieved on May 13, 2013 from: http://www.wvgazette.com/News/theshapewerein/201202250085
• Patterson, PD, et al. Obesity and physical inactivity in rural America. J Rural Health, 2004. 20(2): p. 151-9.• Ratcliffe, M., Merrigan, K., Rogers, B., & Goldberg, J. (2011). The effects of school garden experiences on
middle school-aged students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors associated with vegetable consumption. Health Promotion Practice, 12(1), 36-43.
• USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative. School Garden Checklist. Retrieved on May 13, 2013 from: http://www.letsmove.gov/sites/letsmove.gov/files/pdfs/LM%20School%20Garden%20Checklist_0.pdf
Pictures • http://voiceinthegarden.blogspot.com/2011/01/hoop-house-high-tunnel-polytunnel.html • http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/blanketing-the-garden-for-a-long-winters-slumber/ • http://www.goveganic.net/article157.html