scholarly journals Improving lifestyles sustainability through community gardening: results and lessons learnt from the JArDinS quasi-experimental study

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Tharrey ◽  
Ashby Sachs ◽  
Marlène Perignon ◽  
Chantal Simon ◽  
Caroline Mejean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Experimental Study ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Community Garden ◽  
Community Gardening ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sustainable Lifestyles ◽  
Quasi Experimental

Abstract Background Despite an increasing number of studies highlighting the health benefits of community gardening, the literature is limited by cross-sectional designs. The “JArDinS” quasi-experimental study aimed to assess the impact of community garden participation on the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles among French adults. Methods Individuals entering a community garden in Montpellier (France) in 2018 (n = 66) were compared with pairwise matched individuals with no experience in community gardening (n = 66). Nutritional quality, environmental impact and cost of monthly household food supplies, level of physical activity measured by accelerometers, as well as mental and social well-being, sensitivity to food waste, and connection with nature were evaluated at baseline (t0) and 12 months later (t1) to explore sustainability of lifestyles in social/health, environmental and economic dimensions. Linear mixed models were used to determine the independent effect of community gardening on investigated lifestyles components. In-depth interviews were conducted at t1 with 15 gardeners to better understand changes that may have occurred in gardeners’ lives during the first year of gardening. Results At t0, gardeners had lower education level, lower BMI and their household reported lower percentage of meals consumed outside of the home compared to non-gardeners (p <  0.05). Participating in the community garden had no significant impact, in spite of sufficient statistical power, on fruit and vegetables supplies (main outcome), nor on physical activity parameters, nor on others of the social/health, environmental and economic lifestyles components investigated. Qualitative interviews suggested the existence of pre-established health and environmental consciousness in some gardeners and revealed several barriers to the participation such as lack of time, lack of gardening knowledge, physical difficulty of gardening, health problems and conflicts with other gardeners. Conclusions The health benefits of community gardening previously reported by cross-sectional studies might be confounded by selection bias. The JArDinS study highlights the need to identify solutions to overcome barriers related to community garden participation when designing relevant public health interventions for the promotion of sustainable lifestyles. Trial registration The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03694782. Date of registration: 3rd October 2018, retrospectively registered.

scholarly journals Impact of community gardens on the sustainability of lifestyles: baseline data of the JArDinS study

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Tharrey ◽  
M Perignon ◽  
P Scheromm ◽  
C Mejean ◽  
N Darmon
Keyword(s):  
Food Supply ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Community Garden ◽  
Community Gardening ◽  
Sustainable Lifestyles ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction Despite growing evidence for the multiple health benefits of community gardening, longitudinal studies based on quantitative data are needed. JArDinS is a quasi-experimental study aimed at assessing the impact of community garden participation in the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles. Materials and Methods Gardeners starting gardening in a community garden in Montpellier (France) were recruited in 2018. Volunteers with no experience in community gardening and matched for age range, gender, household income and household composition were recruited in a control group. A recruitment goal of 80 participants per group was determined to detect a 30% increase in F&V supply in the gardeners group. Participant were issued with three tools: a Food Supply Dairy to collect data on monthly household’s food supply, a triaxial accelerometer to measure physical activity and an online questionnaire on mental and social health, sensitivity to food waste, and connection with nature. Measures have been collected at baseline and will be repeated 12 months later. Data collected are examined conjointly to assess the sustainability of lifestyles in its social/health, environmental and economic dimensions. Change of outcomes after 1 year will be compared between the natural experiment and the control groups, to evaluate the effect of access to a community garden on the sustainability of lifestyles. Results A final number of 77 participants per group were enrolled at baseline, which is 4% less the original recruitment goal. Baseline data for the natural experiment group and the control group are currently being analysed and will be presented. Discussion This study will provide valuable information about the potential of community gardens to favor sustainable lifestyles, based on a robust quasi-experimental design allowing causality evaluation. Findings could help developing policies toward more sustainable urban planning favoring both human and environmental health. Key messages For the first time, the JArDinS study will allow testing, the impact of community gardens on the sustainability of lifestyles. Results will help orient urban planning decisions towards healthier options.

scholarly journals Impact of community gardening on lifestyles' sustainability: quantitative & qualitative evaluation of a natural experiment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Tharrey ◽  
Ashby Sachs ◽  
Marlène Perignon ◽  
Chantal Simon ◽  
Caroline Mejean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
First Year ◽  
Community Garden ◽  
Community Gardening ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Despite the increasing number of studies on gardening and health, evidence of health benefits of community gardening is limited by cross-sectional design. The “JArDinS” quasi-experimental study aimed to assess the impact of community garden participation on the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles in French adults. Methods: Individuals starting gardening in community gardens in Montpellier (France) in 2018 (N=66) were compared to pairwise matched individuals with no experience in community gardening (N=66). Monthly household food supplies, physical activity measured by accelerometers and questionnaires on physical, mental and social well-being, sensitivity to food waste, and connection with nature were used to explore sustainability of lifestyles in social/health, environmental and economic dimensions. Data were collected at baseline (t0) and 12 months later (t1). Linear mixed models were used to determine the independent effect of community gardening on investigated lifestyles components. In-depth interviews were conducted at t1 with 15 gardeners to better understand changes that may have occurred in gardeners’ lives during the first year of gardening.Results: At t0, gardeners had lower education level, lower BMI and reported lower percentage of meals consumed outside of the home in total household meals compared to non-gardeners (p<0.05). At t1, the mean weight of fruit and vegetables harvested from the garden was 19.5g/d/p. Participating in the community garden had no significant impact on any of the social/health, environmental and economic lifestyle components investigated. Qualitative interviews suggested the existence of pre-established health and environmental consciousness in some gardeners and revealed several barriers to the participation such as lack of time, lack of gardening knowledge, difficulty of gardening, health problems and conflicts with other gardeners. Conclusions: Using a longitudinal design allowing causality assessment, no impact was observed of the first year of community gardening on lifestyle sustainability. The pre-established sensitivity to sustainability and the various barriers encountered by new gardeners might explain the absence of community gardening impact. Further rigorous longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether or not community gardening is a relevant public health tool.Trial registration: The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03694782. Date of registration: 3rd October 2018, retrospectively registered.

scholarly journals Physical Activity Participation and Nutrition and Physical Activity Knowledge in University Dance Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Hanna ◽  
Anne Hanley ◽  
Avril Huddy ◽  
Michael McDonald ◽  
Fiona Willer
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Nutrition Knowledge ◽  
Physical Activity Participation ◽  
Activity Participation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Dance Performance ◽  
Nutrition And Physical Activity

OBJECTIVE: To assess participation in physical activity and knowledge of general nutrition and current public health messages about the health benefits of physical activity in university dance students, and to investigate differences between first-year and later-year students and between students in dance and dance performance course groups. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited 67 participants from dance undergraduate degrees in a university in Australia. Nutrition knowledge was assessed using the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire. Physical activity participation and awareness of its benefits were assessed using the Active Australia Survey. RESULTS: Results indicate low nutrition knowledge among dance students, with 47% and 52% of responses correct in dance and dance performance students, respectively. Nutrition knowledge did not vary between students in first or later years. Self-reported participation in moderate and vigorous physical activity varied substantially and met or exceeded recommendations based upon duration and frequency for 98% of participants. However, awareness of physical activity messages varied, with dance students more likely to disagree about the level of activity needed for health benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Dance students report varying levels of physical activity that usually met or exceeded recommendations; however, knowledge of general nutrition and physical activity benefits was low. Improved knowledge could contribute to changes in behavior that improve health status in this population.

Can we reduce psychosomatic symptoms and work presenteeism with physical activity?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Andreja Petrovčič ◽  
Vanja Erčulj ◽  
Eva Boštjančič
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Psychosomatic Symptoms ◽  
General Evaluation ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
The Relationship

BACKGROUND: Past studies have tended to consider the relationships between presenteeism, physical activity and psychosomatic symptoms in a partial manner and not as a whole. OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between physical activity, psychosomatic symptoms and presenteeism, in order to increase the visibility of presenteeism and promote workplace health. METHODS: Two questionnaires (Patient Health Questionnaire and Work Limitations Questionnaire) and a set of physical activity questions were administered on the sample of 514 employees. RESULTS: The results showed a statistically significant relationship between presenteeism and some variables of physical activity, as well as between presenteeism and psychosomatic symptoms. Further results showed a statistically significant association between psychosomatic symptoms and some variables of physical activity. General evaluation (adequacy) of physical activity, and general, aerobic physical activity proved to be important predictors of presenteeism, while general, aerobic physical activity also predicted psychosomatic symptoms. Analysis of the results revealed that psychosomatic symptoms moderate the relationship between physical activity and presenteeism. CONCLUSIONS: The article points out that employees with health problems have a lower percentage of productive time than healthy employees. However, developing an active lifestyle can be a cost-effective measure to cope with presenteeism and promote psychophysical health among employees.

scholarly journals Physical activity and weight following car ownership in Beijing, China: quasi-experimental cross sectional study

BMJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. l6491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L Anderson ◽  
Fangwen Lu ◽  
Jun Yang
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Global City ◽  
Car Ownership ◽  
Average Weight ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Experimental Cross ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Beijing China

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the implications of car ownership for physical activity and weight in a global city.DesignQuasi-experimental cross sectional study.SettingBeijing, China, 2011-15.ParticipantsPeople aged 18 and older from a random sample of households who had entered a permit lottery to purchase a vehicle between January 2011 and November 2015.InterventionsPermit allowing purchase of a vehicle within six months of permit issuance.Main outcome measuresTransit use (number of subway and bus rides each week), physical activity (minutes of walking or bicycling each day), and weight, measured once in early 2016.ResultsOf 937 people analysed in total, 180 had won a permit to purchase a new vehicle. Winning the permit lottery resulted in the purchase of an additional vehicle 91% of the time (95% confidence interval 89% to 94%; P<0.001). About five years after winning, winners took significantly fewer weekly transit rides (−2.9 rides (−5.1 to −0.7); P=0.01) and walked and cycled significantly less (−24.2 minutes (−40.3 to −8.1); P=0.003) than those who did not win the lottery. Average weight did not change significantly between lottery winners and losers. Among those aged 50 and older, however, winners’ weight had increased relative to that of losers (10.3 kg (0.5 to 20.2); P=0.04) 5.1 years after winning.ConclusionsThese data indicate that vehicle ownership in a rapidly growing global city led to long term reductions in physical activity and increase in weight. Continuing increases in car use and ownership in developing and middle income countries could adversely affect physical health and obesity rates.

scholarly journals Dementia Patients Are More Sedentary and Less Physically Active than Age- and Sex-Matched Cognitively Healthy Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne A.W. Hartman ◽  
Esther G.A. Karssemeijer ◽  
Lisanne A.M. van Diepen ◽  
Marcel G.M. Olde Rikkert ◽  
Dick H.J. Thijssen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Bout Duration ◽  
Dementia Patients

Aims: The aim of this study was to examine physical activity and sedentary behaviour characteristics of ambulatory and community-dwelling patients with dementia compared to cognitively healthy age-, sex- and weight-matched controls. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included community-dwelling dementia patients (n = 45, age 79.6 ± 5.9 years, Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] 22.8 ± 3.2) and matched controls (n = 49, age 80.0 ± 7.7 years, MMSE 29.0 ± 1.2). Participants wore a wrist accelerometer for 7 days to assess sedentary time, sedentary bout duration and time spent in very light, light-to-moderate and moderate-to-vigorous physical activities. Results: Relative sedentary time and sedentary bout duration was significantly higher in dementia patients than in controls (median [interquartile range] 57% [49–68] vs. 55% [47–59] and 18.3 [16.4–21.1] min vs. 16.6 [15.3–18.4] min, p = 0.042 and p = 0.008, respectively). In addition, dementia patients spent a lower percentage of their waking time in light-to-moderate and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activities (20% [15–23] vs. 22% [18–25] and 5% [2–10] vs. 10% [5–13], p = 0.017 and p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: We revealed that dementia patients are more sedentary and perform less physical activity than cognitively healthy controls. This may have clinically important consequences, given the observation that sedentary behaviour and little physical activity independently predict all-cause mortality and morbidity.

scholarly journals Impact of a Georgia elementary school-based intervention on physical activity opportunities: A quasi-experimental study

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Cheung ◽  
Padra Franks ◽  
Michael Kramer ◽  
Carolyn Drews-Botsch ◽  
Jean Welsh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Experimental Study ◽  
Elementary School ◽  
School Based Intervention ◽  
School Based ◽  
Quasi Experimental

The development of hypothetical reference in the speech of young children

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 563-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stan A. Kuczaj ◽  
Mary J. Daly
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
The Other ◽  
Naturalistic Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Preschool Age Children ◽  
Quasi Experimental

ABSTRACTThe data obtained in two investigations (one a longitudinal/cross-sectional naturalistic study, the other a quasi-experimental study) demonstrate that preschool age children have the capacity for hypothetical reference. However, the data also indicate that this capacity for hypothetical reference operates within certain constraints, particularly early in the preschool years. Specifically, future hypothetical reference is an earlier acquisition than past hypothetical reference; reference to single hypothetical events appears sometime prior to reference to sequences of hypothetical events; and accuracy is better in self-initiated than other-initiated hypothetical reference. The implications of these findings are discussed.

scholarly journals Efecto de la práctica de actividad física gamificada en el estado de ánimo de jugadoras de baloncesto en etapa de confinamiento (Effect of gamified physical activity practice on the mood of female basketball players in confinement stage)

Retos ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 10-16
Author(s):  
Alberto Rodríguez Cayetano ◽  
Estela Vicente Rivera ◽  
José Manuel De Mena Ramos ◽  
Salvador Pérez Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Experimental Study ◽  
Mood States ◽  
Profile Of Mood States ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Basketball Players ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Salud Mental

El objetivo principal de esta investigación es analizar el efecto en el estado de ánimo de jugadoras de baloncesto, a través de la práctica de actividad física gamificada durante la etapa de confinamiento debido a la COVID-19. La muestra utilizada fue de 26 jugadoras de tres categorías diferentes: infantil, juvenil y senior, con una media de edad de 16.65 (±3.84) años. Para analizar el efecto sobre el estado de ánimo, se realizó un estudio cuasi-experimental a través de un estudio con un pretest, una intervención y un postest final, proporcionando el cuestionario de Profile of Mood States (POMS) antes y después de cada sesión. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron mejoras en el estado de ánimo, disminuyendo los valores que se relacionan con estados emocionales negativos. Durante etapas de confinamiento, es importante aportar programas de actividad física para mejorar la salud mental de las jugadoras de baloncesto, las cuales están acostumbradas a una práctica de actividad física regular. Abstract. The main objective of this research is to analyze the effect on the mood of female basketball players, through the practice of gamified physical activity during the confinement stage due to COVID-19. The sample used was 26 players from three different categories: U14, U18 and senior, with an average age 16.65 (3.84) years. To analyze the effect on the players' mood, a quasi-experimental study was conducted through a pretest, an intervention and a final posttest, providing the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire before and after each session. The results obtained showed improvements in the players' mood was produced due to the practice of gamified physical activity, decreasing the values that are related to negative emotional states. During times of confinement, it is important to provide physical activity programs to improve the mental health of female basketball players, who are accustomed to practice regular physical activity.

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