Improving Nutrition Through School and Community Gardens Jill A Nolan, PhD Assistant Professor of Health Education Concord University KidStrong Conference Charleston WV June 12, 2013

Childhood Obesity West Virginia has one the highest rates of Childhood obesity nationally An estimated 45.5% of WV 5 th 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), 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), CARDIAC. Retrieved on May 13, 2013 from: 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: Patterson, PD, et al. Obesity and physical inactivity in rural America. J Rural Health, (2): p 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), USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative. School Garden Checklist. Retrieved on May 13, 2013 from: Pictures