title: Perceptions of middle school educators in Hawai'i about school-based gardening and child health.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood obesity prevention is a national priority. School-based gardening has been proposed as an innovative obesity prevention intervention. Little is known about the perceptions of educators about school-based gardening for child health. As the success of a school-based intervention depends on the support of educators, we investigated perceptions of educators about the benefits of gardening programs to child health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews of 9 middle school educators at a school with a garden program in rural Hawai'i were conducted. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perceived benefits of school-based gardening included improving children's diet, engaging children in physical activity, creating a link to local tradition, mitigating hunger, and improving social skills. Poverty was cited as a barrier to adoption of healthy eating habits. Opinions about obesity were contradictory; obesity was considered both a health risk, as well as a cultural standard of beauty and strength. Few respondents framed benefits of gardening in terms of health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In order to be effective at obesity prevention, school-based gardening programs in Hawai'i should be framed as improving diet, addressing hunger, and teaching local tradition. Explicit messages about obesity prevention are likely to alienate the population, as these are in conflict with local standards of beauty. Health researchers and advocates need to further inform educators regarding the potential connections between gardening and health.
authors: Kaiser Permanente, Center for Health Research, Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI, USA. ameena.t.ahmed@kp.org
authors: Ameena T
authors: AT
authors: Ahmed
authors: Caryn E
authors: CE
authors: Oshiro
authors: Sheila
authors: S
authors: Loharuka
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Novotny
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005178:Faculty; D051639:Gardening; D006254:Hawaii; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012574:Schools