title: LA sprouts randomized controlled nutrition, cooking and gardening programme reduces obesity and metabolic risk in Hispanic/Latino youth.
abstract: Many programmes for children that involve gardening and nutrition components exist; however, none include experimental designs allowing more rigorous evaluation of their impact on obesity.
  
  
  
  The objective of this study is to explore the effects of a novel 12-week gardening, nutrition and cooking intervention {'LA Sprouts'} on dietary intake, obesity parameters and metabolic disease risk among low-income, primarily Hispanic/Latino youth in Los Angeles..
  
  
  
  This study used a randomized control trial involving four elementary schools [two randomized to intervention {172, 3rd-5th grade students}; two randomized to control {147, 3rd-5th grade students}]. Classes were taught in 90-min sessions once per week for 12 weeks. Data collected at pre-intervention and post-intervention included dietary intake via food frequency questionnaire, anthropometric measures {body mass index, waist circumference}, body fat, and fasting blood samples.
  
  
  
  LA Sprouts participants compared with controls had significantly greater reductions in body mass index z-scores {-0.1 vs. -0.04, respectively; p = 0.01} and waist circumference {-1.2 vs. 0.1 cm; p < 0.001}. Fewer LA Sprouts participants had the metabolic syndrome after the intervention than before, while controls with metabolic syndrome increased. LA Sprouts participants compared with controls increased dietary fiber intake {+3.4% vs. -16.5%; p = 0.04}. All participants decreased vegetable intake, but decreases were less in LA Sprouts than controls {-3.7% vs. -26.1%; p = 0.04}. Change in fruit intake did not differ between LA Sprouts and controls.
  
  
  
  LA Sprouts was effective in reducing obesity and metabolic risk; however, additional larger and longer-term studies are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyles & Disease Prevention, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, USA.
authors.forename: N M
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7873-8310
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Gatto
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.|Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.|Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3884-4300
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spruijt-Metz
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003296:Cooking; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D051639:Gardening / Q000193:education*; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students
keywords: BMI; Hispanic/Latino; fruit and vegetable consumption; gardening