Prevention Research Center in St, Louis, Brown School, Washington University in St, Louis, Campus Box 1006, 621 North Skinker Blvd,, St, Louis, MO 63130, USA.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2013 Nov 19;10:128. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-10-128.
Fruit and vegetable consumption reduces chronic disease risk, yet the majority of Americans consume fewer than recommended. Inadequate access to fruits and vegetables is increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to low consumption of healthy foods. Emerging evidence shows the effectiveness of community gardens in increasing access to, and consumption of, fruits and vegetables.
Two complementary studies explored the association of community garden participation and fruit and vegetable consumption in rural communities in Missouri. The first was with a convenience sample of participants in a rural community garden intervention who completed self-administered surveys. The second was a population-based survey conducted with a random sample of 1,000 residents in the intervention catchment area.
Participation in a community garden was associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption. The first study found that individuals who worked in a community garden at least once a week were more likely to report eating fruits and vegetables because of their community garden work (X² (125) = 7.78, p = .0088). Population-based survey results show that 5% of rural residents reported participating in a community garden. Those who reported community garden participation were more likely to report eating fruits 2 or more times per day and vegetables 3 or more times per day than those who did not report community garden participation, even after adjusting for covariates (Odds Ratio [OR] = 2.76, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.35 to 5.65).
These complementary studies provide evidence that community gardens are a promising strategy for promoting fruit and vegetable consumption in rural communities.
水果和蔬菜的摄入可降低慢性病风险，但大多数美国人的摄入量未达到推荐量。越来越多的人认识到，获取水果和蔬菜的机会不足是导致健康食品摄入量低的一个重要因素。新出现的证据表明，社区花园可有效增加获取和食用水果和蔬菜的机会。
两项互补研究探索了参与社区花园与在密苏里州农村社区中水果和蔬菜消费之间的关联。第一项研究的对象是参与农村社区花园干预项目的方便样本参与者，他们完成了自我管理的调查。第二项研究是在干预范围内随机抽取 1000 名居民进行的基于人群的调查。
参与社区花园与更高的水果和蔬菜摄入量相关。第一项研究发现，每周至少在社区花园工作一次的人更有可能因为他们在社区花园的工作而报告食用水果和蔬菜（X² (125) = 7.78, p =.0088）。基于人群的调查结果显示，5%的农村居民报告参与了社区花园。与未报告参与社区花园的人相比，报告参与社区花园的人更有可能报告每天食用 2 次或更多的水果和 3 次或更多的蔬菜，即使在调整了协变量后（比值比[OR] = 2.76，95%置信区间[CI] = 1.35 至 5.65）。
这些互补研究提供了证据表明，社区花园是促进农村社区水果和蔬菜消费的一种有前途的策略。
