Home Gardening Is Associated with Filipino Preschool Children's Dietary Diversity

doi:10.1016/j.jada.2011.02.005

Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Volume 111, Issue 5, May 2011, Pages 711-715

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2011.02.005 Get rights and content

Abstract

Dietary diversification through home gardening is a sustainable strategy that can address multiple micronutrient deficiencies. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the association between home gardening and the dietary diversity of preschool-aged children. Households with children aged 2 to 5 years (n=200) were surveyed from Baras and Angono in the province of Rizal, Philippines in January 2008. Food security was determined based on the US Department of Agriculture Food Security Questionnaire. Dietary diversity score was based on the number of unique food groups consumed during the past 24 hours. The Student t test was performed to compare means between groups (households with gardens vs households without gardens) whereas proportions between groups were compared using Pearson's χ² analyses. Multiple linear regression was performed to model the adjusted regression coefficients for the quantitative outcome variables by exposure variable. Around 52.5% of children were from households with a fruit and/or vegetable garden. Children from households with gardens had higher dietary diversity scores whether using the all-inclusive dietary diversity score (6.12 vs 5.62; P=0.040) or applying a 10-g minimum intake for each food group (5.89 vs 5.37; P=0.044) compared with children who lived in homes without a garden. Children from households with gardens were significantly more likely to eat vegetables more frequently (χ²=9.06; P=0.029). The presence or absence of a garden was not significantly associated with food security. Having a home garden was positively associated with the child's diet diversity and with frequency of vegetable consumption. Households without gardens may benefit from interventions promoting gardens as a means to improve diet quality.

Section snippets

Survey Design and Participants

This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 3 to 28, 2008, in the municipalities of Baras and Angono in the province of Rizal, Philippines. The province of Rizal has a high prevalence of underweight children younger than age 5 years (35%) and vitamin A deficiency (30%) and anemia (36%) among children aged 6 months to 5 years (18). Baras is a rural, predominantly agricultural community, whereas Angono is an urban municipality whose primary source of income is trading, farming, fishing,

Results and Discussion

A total of 200 households with preschool-aged children were surveyed with 100 each from Baras and Mahabang Parang. Among households who were surveyed, 105 (52.5%) had home gardens. Around 40% of the gardens were simple gardens, 26% were improved gardens, and 34% were developed gardens (data not shown). Results indicated no statistical difference between urban and rural settings with regard to the proportion of households with and without a garden.

There were no significant differences between

Conclusions

This study showed a positive association between having a home garden and child's diet diversity and frequency of fruits and vegetables consumed. Home gardening is an acceptable nutrition intervention in that it could improve diet diversity, but it may not necessarily have an influence on food security on its own. Nutrition education may be an important means not only to encourage households, even those with limited land access, to put up a home garden, but also to change eating and feeding

A. B. Cabalda is a research scientist, Nutrition Center of the Phillipines, Manila, Philippines

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Ground-based production refers to growing crops at ground level in native, amended, or introduced soil. In an urban setting, home gardening can improve dietary diversity, micronutrient deficiencies, and increase the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption in children (Cabalda et al., 2011). Ghosh (2021) argues that growing food in home gardens connects people back to land, nature and memories and is also a potential method for improving health and resilience.
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A. B. Cabalda is a research scientist, Nutrition Center of the Phillipines, Manila, Philippines

P. Rayco-Solon is a clinical research scientist, Nutrition Center of the Phillipines, Manila, Philippines

F. S. Solon is president, Nutrition Center of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines

J. A. A. Solon is an assistant professor, University of the Philippines, Manila, Malate City, Philippines, and executive director, Nutrition Center of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines

View full text

ResearchResearch and Professional BriefHome Gardening Is Associated with Filipino Preschool Children's Dietary Diversity

Abstract

Section snippets

Survey Design and Participants

Results and Discussion

Conclusions

Lancet

J Nutr

Am J Clin Nutr

Am J Clin Nutr

J Nutr

Hunger on the rise: Soaring prices add 75 million people to global hunger rollsFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Web site

Philippine Nutrition Facts and Figures (2003)

Guide to Measuring Household Food Security, Revised 2000

Food-based strategies to meet the challenges of micronutrient malnutrition in the developing world

Proc Nutr Soc

Dietary diversification/modification strategies to enhance micronutrient content and bioavailability of diets in developing countries

Br J Nutr

Food-based strategies to control VA deficiency

Food Nutr Bull

Increasing the production and consumption of VA-rich fruits and vegetables: Lessons learned in taking the Bangladesh homestead gardening programme to national scale

Food Nutr Bull

Impact of a homestead gardening program on household food security and empowerment of women in Bangladesh

Food Nutr Bull

Effect of nutrition improvement project on morbidity from infectious diseases in preschool children in Vietnam: Comparison with control commune

BMJ

An evaluation of the impact of home gardening on the consumption of vitamin A and iron among preschool children

Research
Research and Professional Brief
Home Gardening Is Associated with Filipino Preschool Children's Dietary Diversity