title: LA Sprouts: A 12-Week Gardening, Nutrition, and Cooking Randomized Control Trial Improves Determinants of Dietary Behaviors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of an exploratory 12-week nutrition, cooking, and gardening trial (LA Sprouts) on preference for fruit and vegetables (FV); willingness to try FV; identification of FV; self-efficacy to garden, eat, and cook FV; motivation to garden, eat, and cook FV; attitudes toward FV; nutrition and gardening knowledge; and home gardening habits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four elementary schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred four predominately Hispanic/Latino third- through fifth-grade students were randomized to either the LA Sprouts group (n = 167 students) or control group (n = 137 students).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve-week after-school nutrition, cooking, and gardening intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Determinants of dietary behavior as measured by questionnaire at baseline and postintervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses of covariance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the 12-week program, compared with controls, LA Sprouts participants improved scores for identification of vegetables (+11% vs +5%; P = .001) and nutrition and gardening knowledge (+14.5% vs -5.0%; P = .003), and were more likely to garden at home (+7.5% vs -4.4%; P = .003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The LA Sprouts program positively affected a number of determinants of dietary behaviors that suggest possible mechanisms by which gardening and nutrition education act to improve dietary intake and health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. Electronic address: Jaimie.davis@Austin.utexas.edu.
authors.forename: Jaimie N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Lauren C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spruijt-Metz
authors.affiliation: Center for Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyles and Disease Prevention, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Linda Loma, CA.
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Gatto
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education*; D003296:Cooking; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D051639:Gardening / Q000193:education*; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D013334:Students
keywords: Hispanic/Latino children; dietary intake; gardening and nutrition intervention