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  • Title: School gardens and physical activity: a randomized controlled trial of low-income elementary schools.
    Author: Wells NM, Myers BM, Henderson CR.
    Journal: Prev Med; 2014 Dec; 69 Suppl 1():S27-33. PubMed ID: 25456803.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: This study examines effects of a school garden intervention on elementary school children's physical activity (PA). METHOD: Twelve schools in New York were randomly assigned to receive the school garden intervention (n=6) or to the waitlist control group that later received gardens (n=6). PA was measured by self-report survey (Girls Health Enrichment Multi-site Study Activity Questionnaire) (N=227) and accelerometry (N=124, 8 schools) at baseline (Fall 2011) and follow-up (Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013). Direct observation (N=117, 4 schools) was employed to compare indoor (classroom) and outdoor (garden) PA. Analysis was by general linear mixed models. RESULTS: Survey data indicate garden intervention children's reports of usual sedentary activity decreased from pre-garden baseline to post-garden more than the control group children's (Δ=-.19, p=.001). Accelerometry data reveal that during the school day, children in the garden intervention showed a greater increase in percent of time spent in moderate and moderate-to-vigorous PA from baseline to follow-up than the control group children (Δ=+.58, p=.010; Δ=+1.0, p=.044). Direct observation within-group comparison of children at schools with gardens revealed that children move more and sit less during an outdoor garden-based lesson than during an indoor, classroom-based lesson. CONCLUSION: School gardens show some promise to promote children's PA. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov # NCT02148315.
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