Online Program

292905
I live, I grow: An evaluation of a community gardening program's impact on positive lifestyle among older adults


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Chia-Liang Dai Sr., School of Human Services, Health Promotion and Education, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Amy Bernard, associate profeesor, Health Promotion and Education Program, Human Services, Health Promotion and Education, CECH, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Ching-Chen Chen Sr., School of Human Services, Counselor Education, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
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.

Learning Areas:

Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Chronic disease management and prevention
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate the a community gardening intervention to measure change in socialization level, fruit and vegetable consumption, weekly minutes of physical activity, and stress level.

Keyword(s): Aging, Community Health Programs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a doctoral student in the Health Promotion and Education program at University of Cincinnati. I have presented several research projects in many national conferences (e.g. APHA, APA, ACA, and HBES) and regional conferences (e.g. spring research conference). I am current working with faculty in the research topics: substance use, yoga based intervention in promoting health, kids and teenagers health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.