title: Can a community-based intervention improve the home food environment? parental perspectives of the influence of the delicious and nutritious garden.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine changes in parental report of the home food environment during the course of a garden-based fruit and vegetable (FV) intervention for grade school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-administered pre-post surveys were completed by parents/caregivers (n = 83). Main outcome measures included: child asking behavior, FV availability/accessibility, parental encouragement, and value of FV consumption.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Process evaluation results indicate children shared their garden experiences at home, and as a result, the children's home food environment became increasingly supportive of FV consumption. Parents reported an increase (P < .01) in the frequency that their child asked for FVs. Parental value for FV consumption also improved (P < .01), as did home availability of fruit (P < .05), vegetables (P < .001), and parental encouragement of FVs (P = .06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community-based interventions that provide activities to engage parents may provide added benefit by improving the home food environment.
authors.affiliation: Center for Family Development, University of Minnesota Extension, Rochester, MN 55902, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heim
authors.forename: Katherine W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stang
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ireland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education*; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D004777:Environment; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology; D005638:Fruit / Q000600:supply & distribution; D051639:Gardening / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000600:supply & distribution