Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-4-2019
Abstract
Gardening has been positively associated with fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption based on short-term studies among children, but long-term data among adolescents and young adults are lacking. This investigation sought to elucidate the association between gardening experience and FV intake among college students over a two-year period. Students (N = 593) from eight universities were assessed at the end of their freshman (Y1) and sophomore (Y2) years during the springs of 2016 and 2017, respectively. At each time point, participants completed the NCI FV Screener and questions related to gardening experience and FV-related attitudes and behaviors. Students were then categorized into four groups based on gardening experience: Gardened only during the first or second year (Y1 only and Y2 only gardeners), gardened both years (Y1+Y2 gardeners), and non-gardeners. While both Y1 only and Y1+Y2 gardeners reported significantly higher FV intake relative to non-gardeners at Y1 (2.3 ± 0.9 and 2.6 ± 0.7 versus 1.9 ± 0.6 cup equivalents (CE)/day, respectively; p < 0.01), only Y1+Y2 gardeners differed from non-gardeners at Y2 (2.4 ± 0.6 versus 1.8 ± 0.5 CE/day; p < 0.001). Additionally, Y1+Y2 gardeners reported more frequent engagement of several FV-related behaviors, including shopping at farmers' markets, eating locally grown foods, and cooking from basic ingredients; and were five times more likely to have gardened during childhood (OR: 5.2, 95%, CI: 3.5-8.8; p < 0.001). Findings suggest that while isolated gardening experiences during college are associated with FV intake, reoccurring experience may be essential for sustained benefit.
Publication Title
Nutrients
Volume
11
Issue
9
Format
application/pdf
PMCID
PMID: 31487799
DOI of Published Version
10.3390/nu11092088
Rights
Copyright © 2019 The Authors
Recommended Citation
Staub, Daniel; Colby, Sarah E.; Olfert, Melissa D.; Kattelmann, Kendra; Zhou, Wenjun; Horacek, Tanya M.; Greene, Geoffrey; Radosavljevic, Ivana; Franzen-Castle, Lisa; and Matthews, Anne E., "A Multi-Year Examination of Gardening Experience and Fruit and Vegetable Intake During College." (2019). Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications. 399.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/hns_pubs/399
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Comments
This article was published in 2019 Nutrients. 2019; 11(9):2088. DOI:10.3390/nu11092088