Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

The goals of this community-based clinical trial are to examine the association between community garden participation and 1) fruit and vegetable intake (primary outcome) and 2) access to healthy food (secondary outcome) among adults aged 18-95 living in low resource communities. Gardens will be randomized to the intervention (n=4 gardens) or control group (delayed intervention, n=3 gardens). Participants will be assigned to one of seven community gardens to receive an 8-week intervention. During the intervention, participants will be asked to volunteer in the garden, participate in garden social activities, participate in healthy cooking demonstrations and educational sessions. Participants will receive educational materials as well. To assess the effects of the intervention, participants will receive a baseline, 8-week, and 6-month survey. Outcome measures will be compared between the intervention and control groups.

The goal of this clinical trial is to adapt and implement The Value of Our Health (Our Value), a program to promote eating fruit and vegetables, for people living in rural areas. The program will be offered in small, independent grocery stores and delivered by community health workers. The main question this study will answer is: Do customers who shop at stores receiving Our Value eat more fruits and vegetables than customers of other stores?