Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health-Related Behaviours in Community Gardens in China: An Evaluation of a Natural Experiment

Urban Farm DB summary

This natural experiment in a Chinese neighborhood examined the effects of a community garden on health-related behaviors during the COVID-19 epidemic. Camera-based systematic observations, totaling 180 hours of video recordings (120 hours non-epidemic, 60 hours epidemic), assessed user numbers, physical activities, social interactions, and environmental engagement. Results showed a significant increase in total users during the epidemic, particularly females, older adults, and children, with sedentary and moderate physical activities also significantly higher. The community garden contributed more to physical activity like walking, but less to interactions between people or people-place interactions.