Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0370, USA.
Department of Nutrition, College of Education, Health & Human Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
Nutrients. 2019 Sep 4;11(9):2088. doi: 10.3390/nu11092088.
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 ( = 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; < 0.01), only Y1+Y2 gardeners differed from non-gardeners at Y2 (2.4 ± 0.6 versus 1.8 ± 0.5 CE/day; < 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; < 0.001). Findings suggest that while isolated gardening experiences during college are associated with FV intake, reoccurring experience may be essential for sustained benefit.
园艺活动与儿童时期短期研究中的水果和蔬菜（FV）消费呈正相关，但缺乏青少年和年轻成年人的长期数据。本研究旨在探讨大学生在两年期间园艺经验与 FV 摄入之间的关系。2016 年春季和 2017 年春季，分别在新生（Y1）和大二（Y2）结束时评估了来自八所大学的 593 名学生。在每个时间点，参与者都完成了 NCI FV 筛检器和与园艺经验以及与 FV 相关的态度和行为相关的问题。然后，根据园艺经验将学生分为四组：仅在第一年或第二年（Y1 仅和 Y2 仅园艺者）、两年都园艺（Y1+Y2 园艺者）和非园艺者。尽管 Y1 仅和 Y1+Y2 园艺者在 Y1 时报告的 FV 摄入量明显高于非园艺者（分别为 2.3 ± 0.9 和 2.6 ± 0.7 与 1.9 ± 0.6 杯当量（CE）/天；<0.01），但只有 Y1+Y2 园艺者在 Y2 时与非园艺者不同（2.4 ± 0.6 与 1.8 ± 0.5 CE/天；<0.001）。此外，Y1+Y2 园艺者报告了更频繁地参与几种与 FV 相关的行为，包括在农贸市场购物、食用当地种植的食物和用基本食材烹饪；并且在童年时期更有可能从事园艺活动（OR：5.2，95%CI：3.5-8.8；<0.001）。研究结果表明，虽然大学期间孤立的园艺体验与 FV 摄入有关，但反复体验对于持续获益可能是必要的。
