Garden-based nutrition education programs: a review of impact and evaluation methods

The goal of this paper is to examine the effects of garden-based nutrition education programs and their methods of evaluation. Current literature shows that garden-based nutrition education programs have positive effects on children including: increased knowledge about fruits and vegetables, increased knowledge about science, increased preference for fruits and vegetables, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, and increased self-efficacy. The first objective of this paper is to review the extant literature regarding garden-based nutrition education programs in order to identify effective programs. The second objective is to review current methods used to evaluate of garden-based nutrition education programs in order to identify the limitations. Examining the evaluation methods for these interventions is vital as there are currently no standardized evaluation methods for garden-based nutrition education programs. By developing standardized evaluation tools we will be better able to study the impact of programs, but first these methods need to be examined. Lastly, this paper describes the evaluation of an existing community garden with a garden-based nutrition education component aimed at children, Enright Community Garden. The public health significance of this paper is that with disproportionate levels of childhood obesity in marginalized communities characterized by little to no access to healthy foods, we must identify effective interventions that increase knowledge, exposure, and access to fresh fruits and vegetables