Growing Healthy Hearts: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial to Test Gardening as an Intervention to Improve Health

Growing Healthy Hearts: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial to Test Gardening as an Intervention to Improve Dietary Intake of Fruits and Vegetables and Cardiovascular Disease Risk

The purpose of this study is to test the effect of group-based nutrition advice plus gardening (intervention) versus group-based nutrition advice alone on dietary intake of fruits and vegetables, physical activity, and lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Study participants will be randomly assigned to attend group sessions related to gardening with nutrition advice or nutrition advice alone. The main goal of the intervention will be to encourage participants to increase their intake of fruits and vegetables.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Are at least 20 years old

2. Have transportation and are willing to travel to the Hershey Community Garden

3. Have any two health conditions or risk factors for CVD. These include, but are not limited to:

   1. Any history of cardiovascular disease
   2. Any family history of premature cardiovascular disease
   3. Any history of stroke
   4. High cholesterol
   5. High blood pressure
   6. Overweight/obesity (BMI >=25)
   7. Diabetes
   8. Current or past Tobacco use

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Currently tends a vegetable garden
2. Moving out of the area in the next 4 months
3. Non-English speaking
4. Pregnant women
5. Participation in a past gardening study
6. Medical conditions or medications that limit ability to freely increase dietary intake of fruits and vegetables (e.g., kidney failure, dialysis)
7. A medical condition that precludes safe pursuit of gardening, i.e., recent heart conditions (e.g., heart failure, stroke, heart attack), recent or pending surgery, severe orthopedic conditions, pending hip/knee replacement, paralysis, dementia, blindness, unstable angina or uncontrolled arrhythmias, or uncontrolled asthma or allergies.
8. History of difficulty obtaining blood samples or fear of needles