Gardening In Older Survivors Uab Pub Med

Randomized Controlled Trial

. 2018 Apr;118(4):689-704.

doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2017.11.001. Epub 2018 Jan 2.

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Home Vegetable Gardening Intervention among Older Cancer Survivors Shows Feasibility, Satisfaction, and Promise in Improving Vegetable and Fruit Consumption, Reassurance of Worth, and the Trajectory of Central Adiposity

PMID: 29305129
PMCID: PMC5869079
DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2017.11.001

Free PMC article

Randomized Controlled Trial

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Home Vegetable Gardening Intervention among Older Cancer Survivors Shows Feasibility, Satisfaction, and Promise in Improving Vegetable and Fruit Consumption, Reassurance of Worth, and the Trajectory of Central Adiposity

Wendy Demark-Wahnefried et al. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2018 Apr .

Free PMC article

Abstract

Background: Holistic approaches are sought to improve lifestyle behaviors and health of cancer survivors long term.

Objective: Our aim was to explore whether a home-based vegetable gardening intervention is feasible and whether it improves diet and other health-related outcomes among older cancer survivors.

Design: We conducted a feasibility trial in which cancer survivors were randomized to receive a year-long gardening intervention immediately or to a wait-list control arm. Home visits at baseline and 1 year assessed physical performance, anthropometric indices, behavioral and psychosocial outcomes, and biomarkers.

Participants/setting: Participants included 46 older (aged 60+ years) survivors of locoregionally staged cancers across Alabama from 2014 to 2016. Forty-two completed 1-year follow-up.

Intervention: Cooperative extension master gardeners delivered guidance to establish three seasonal vegetable gardens at survivors' homes. Plants, seeds, and gardening supplies were provided.

Outcomes: Primary outcomes were feasibility targets of 80% accrual and retention, and an absence of serious adverse events; other outcomes were secondary and explored potential benefits.

Statistical analyses: Baseline to follow-up changes were assessed within and between arms using paired t, McNemar's, and χ² tests.

Results: This trial proved to be safe and demonstrated 91.3% retention; 70% of intervention participants rated their experience as "excellent," and 85% would "do it again." Data suggest significantly increased reassurance of worth (+0.49 vs -0.45) and attenuated increases in waist circumference (+2.30 cm vs +7.96 cm) in the gardening vs control arms (P=0.02). Vegetable and fruit consumption increased by approximately 1 serving/day within the gardening arm from baseline to follow-up (mean [standard error]=1.34 [1.2] to 2.25 [1.9] servings/day; P=0.02)] compared to controls (1.22 [1.1] to 1.12 [0.7]; P=0.77; between-arm P=0.06).

Conclusions: The home vegetable gardening intervention among older cancer survivors was feasible and suggested improvements in vegetable and fruit consumption and reassurance of worth; data also suggest attenuated increases in waist circumference. Continued study of vegetable gardening interventions is warranted to improve health, health behaviors, and well-being of older cancer survivors.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02150148.

Keywords: Cancer survivors; Diet; Gardening; Physical function.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts: The authors have no conflicts to disclose

Figures

**Figure 1**
CONSORT diagram of a vegetable gardening feasibility trial among 46 older cancer survivors

Cited by 11 articles

Southwest Harvest for Health: An Adapted Mentored Vegetable Gardening Intervention for Cancer Survivors.

Blair CK, Adsul P, Guest DD, Sussman AL, Cook LS, Harding EM, Rodman J, Duff D, Burgess E, Quezada K, Brown-Glaberman U, King TV, Baca E, Dayao Z, Pankratz VS, Davis S, Demark-Wahnefried W. Blair CK, et al. Nutrients. 2021 Jul 6;13(7):2319. doi: 10.3390/nu13072319. Nutrients. 2021. PMID: 34371829 Free PMC article.
Household Physical Activity and Risk for Future Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Torres ER, Duck AA, Kassahun-Yimer W. Torres ER, et al. J Gerontol Nurs. 2021 Jun;47(6):13-18. doi: 10.3928/00989134-20210507-02. Epub 2021 Jun 1. J Gerontol Nurs. 2021. PMID: 34044683
A Narrative Review of the Role of Diet and Lifestyle Factors in the Development and Prevention of Endometrial Cancer.

Yasin HK, Taylor AH, Ayakannu T. Yasin HK, et al. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Apr 29;13(9):2149. doi: 10.3390/cancers13092149. Cancers (Basel). 2021. PMID: 33946913 Free PMC article. Review.
Southwest Harvest for Health: Adapting a mentored vegetable gardening intervention for cancer survivors in the southwest.

Blair CK, Harding EM, Adsul P, Moran S, Guest D, Clough K, Sussman AL, Duff D, Cook LS, Rodman J, Dayao Z, Brown-Glaberman U, King TV, Pankratz VS, Servin E, Davis S, Demark-Wahnefried W. Blair CK, et al. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2021 Feb 11;21:100741. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2021.100741. eCollection 2021 Mar. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2021. PMID: 33659763 Free PMC article.
Improving lifestyles sustainability through community gardening: results and lessons learnt from the JArDinS quasi-experimental study.

Tharrey M, Sachs A, Perignon M, Simon C, Mejean C, Litt J, Darmon N. Tharrey M, et al. BMC Public Health. 2020 Nov 26;20(1):1798. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09836-6. BMC Public Health. 2020. PMID: 33243204 Free PMC article.

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grant support

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
- ClinicalKey
- ClinicalKey Nursing
- Elsevier Science
- Europe PubMed Central
- PubMed Central
Other Literature Sources
- scite Smart Citations
Medical
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- MedlinePlus Health Information