I live, I grow: An evaluation of a community gardening program's impact on positive lifestyle among older adults

Malnutrition is a significant health problem among the older population. Approximately 83% of older people don't consume a quality diet. Risk factors of malnutrition in older people include disease, eating poorly, economic hardship, and reduced social interaction. More than 80% of older people have at least one chronic disease (e.g., arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, dementia/Alzheimer's). Lifestyle change, eating well and being active can improve the health status of older people to prevent or alleviate many of these illnesses. Gardening is an enjoyable form of exercise that can have many benefits in promoting health for older persons, such as maintenance of mobility and flexibility; providing nutritious produce; reducing stress levels by promoting relaxation; and improving well-being via social connections (in the case of a community garden). However, little research has been conducted to quantify the effects of involvement in a community gardening program. This study will use a pretest-posttest design to examine the effects of a community gardening intervention throughout a large urban city. The survey instrument will be assessing socialization level, fruit and vegetable consumption, weekly minutes of physical activity, and stress level. Statistical analyses will include t-tests to determine if any improvement from pre to post test is statistically significant.