title: Design and methodology of the LA Sprouts nutrition, cooking and gardening program for Latino youth: A randomized controlled intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The LA Sprouts 12-week nutrition, cooking and gardening intervention targets obesity reduction in Latino children. While other gardening and nutrition programs are shown to improve dietary intake, LA Sprouts is unique in that it utilized a curriculum demonstrated to decrease obesity. This methodology paper outlines the design and processes of the LA Sprouts study, and discusses key strategies employed to foster successful implementation of the program.
  
  
  METHODS
  After-school program in four Los Angeles elementary schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  3rd-5th grade students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial. Gardens were built on two of four school campuses, and the 90-minute weekly lessons focused on strategies to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, gardening at school and home, and cooking healthy meals/snacks. Data collection was conducted pre- and post-intervention and included basic clinical and anthropometric measures, dietary intake and psychosocial constructs measured by questionnaire, and an optional fasting blood draw.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline data was collected from 364 children, and 320 (88%) completed follow-up. No participants withdrew from the program (data were missing for other reasons). Intervention students attended 9.7 ± 2.3 lessons. Fasting blood samples were collected on 169 children at baseline, and 113 (67%) at follow-up. Questionnaire scales had good internal consistency (IC) and intra-rater reliability (IRR; in child scales: 88% items with IC > 0.7 and 70% items with IRR > 0.50; in parent scales: 75% items with IC > 0.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intervention was successfully implemented in the schools and scales appear appropriate to evaluate psychosocial constructs relevant to a gardening intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2001 N Soto St, 3rd floor, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States.
authors.forename: Lauren C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Center for Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyles, & Disease Prevention, Loma Linda University, 24951 North Circle Drive, Nichol Hall 2025, Loma Linda, CA 92350, United States.
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Gatto
authors.affiliation: Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, 635 Downey Way, Suite 305, Los Angeles, CA 90089-3332, United States.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spruijt-Metz
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, 200 W. 24th Street, Stop A2700, Austin, TX 78712, United States. Electronic address: jaimie.davis@austin.utexas.edu.
authors.forename: Jaimie N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002648:Child; D003296:Cooking / Q000379:methods*; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D051639:Gardening / Q000379:methods*; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D012574:Schools; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014675:Vegetables
keywords: Children; Cooking; Gardening; Latino; Nutrition; School-based