Evaluation of Worksite Wellness Nutrition and Physical Activity Interventions and Their Subsequent Impact on Participants' Body Compositions: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background (Background, Rationale, Prior Research, and/or Theory): Garden-based nutrition education programs are viewed as a promising strategy to promote nutrition and physical activity for families. Objective: To evaluate the impact of a 10-week, familyfocused, garden-based, nutrition education program. Study Design, Setting, Participants, Intervention: The Growing Gardens, Growing Health program was a 10week program that promoted healthier lifestyles to families through gardening. It was implemented by University of Connecticut's Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), the Norwalk Health Department, two Certified Master Gardener volunteers, and a Rutgers PhD student. Each 90-minute session included a Master Gardener designed gardening component and a Registered Dietitian designed nutrition education/cooking component. During 2017, 29 families were recruited through flyers and emails. Outcome Measures and Analysis: Parent pre/postintervention surveys assessed their: fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption; physical activity (PA) behaviors, selfefficacy and readiness to change FV consumption, PA and gardening behaviors; and their children's FV consumption. Post-program satisfaction was also assessed. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were performed using SAS 9.4. Results: Of the parents (n = 17) who completed the program, 82% indicated they were extremely satisfied with the program and 94% would strongly recommend the program. Significant increases in parents' median confidence levels regarding FV gardening were noted (Z = 18, P = .0078). Although parents' reported FV consumption didn't increase significantly, their confidence in consuming at least five servings of FV daily did (Z = 14, P = .0156). For those who cook with fresh FV <4 times/week preintervention, 50% cooked more at post-intervention. Among those whose children who ate FV <2 times/day, 62.5% reported that their children were eating more fruits, and 45% reported their children were eating more vegetables, post-intervention. Parents' readiness to exercise for at least 30 minutes/day on most days also increased (Z = 14, P = .0156). Conclusions and Implications: This family-focused, garden-based nutrition education program may have the potential to increase participants FV intake and PA behaviors. Further research is needed to identify if a longer intervention would result in additional improvements.

Vzgoja in izobraževanjemed preteklostjo in prihodnostjo / Upbringing and Education between the Past and the Future

“…Poleg gibanja najpogosteje vključuje tudi prehranske in/ali psihološke vsebine/intervencije. Pogosto tudi ni prisotna zgolj gibalna intervencija, ampak je le-ta podprta s predavanji in z različnimi ukrepi v delovni organizaciji (Sandercock in Andrade 2018).…”