Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2 results
Efectividad del Huerto Urbano: Un Enfoque para el Bienestar de los Adultos Mayores Urban Garden Effectiveness: An Approach to the Well-being of Older Adults
2025Marisol Silva-Vera, María de Jesús Jiménez González, Laura Varela Almanza · JÓVENES EN LA CIENCIA · Mexico
A quasi-experimental study in Mexico with 21 adults over 65 evaluated a community urban garden intervention for nutritional status. Participants showed increased nutrition knowledge, a 47.7% rise in vegetable intake, and a 23.8% increase in physical activity. However, anthropometric variables did not show significant differences, indicating limited impact on physical measurements despite positive changes in knowledge and habits.
Limited or null effectElderlyHealthFood educationCommunityVegetable Gardening and Health Outcomes in Older Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Clinical Trial
2024Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Robert A. Oster, Kerry P. Smith, Harleen Kaur, Andrew D. Frugé, W. Walker Cole, Julie L. Locher, Gabrielle B. Rocque, Maria Pisu, Jennifer R. Bail, Harvey Jay Cohen, Douglas R. Moellering, Cindy K. Blair · JAMA Network Open · United States (Alabama)
A randomized trial in Alabama, USA, assigned 381 older cancer survivors (mean age 69.8 years, 69.0% female) with suboptimal vegetable and fruit intake, physical activity or physical function to a one-year home vegetable gardening intervention (supplies plus mentoring by certified master gardeners) or to a waitlist. The primary outcome — a composite index of improvement in vegetable and fruit intake, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and physical function — did not differ significantly (4.5% intervention vs 3.1% waitlist, P=.53), nor did vegetable and fruit intake between arms (mean difference 0.3 servings/day, P=.10). The intervention arm did show significant gains in physical performance (2-minute step test +6.0 steps; 30-second chair stand +0.8 repetitions), perceived health (+8.4 points on a 100-point scale) and gut microbiome alpha diversity. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly moderated effects, so the trial does not establish that gardening halts functional decline in older adults.
Limited or null effectElderlyWelfareHealth