This article describes results from an investigation of the health impacts of community gardening, using Toronto, Ontario as a case study. According to community members and local service organizations, these gardens have a number of positive health benefits. However, few studies have explicitly focused on the health impacts of community gardens, and many of those did not ask community gardeners directly about their experiences in community gardening. This article sets out to fill this gap by describing the results of a community-based research project that collected data on the perceived health impacts of community gardening through participant observation, focus groups and in-depth interviews. Results suggest that community gardens were perceived by gardeners to provide numerous health benefits, including improved access to food, improved nutrition, increased physical activity and improved mental health. Community gardens were also seen to promote social health and community cohesion. These benefits were set against a backdrop of insecure land tenure and access, bureaucratic resistance, concerns about soil contamination and a lack of awareness and understanding by community members and decision-makers. Results also highlight the need for ongoing resources to support gardens in these many roles.

A community-based dietary diversification/modification intervention, employing a quasiexperimental design with a nonequivalent control group, was conducted in two intervention and two control villages in rural Southern Malawi. The aim was to enhance the content and bioavailability of micronutrients in maize-based diets of stunted children ages 30-90 mo. Efficacy was evaluated through a comparison of the changes in knowledge and practices, anthropometry, malaria screening, hemoglobin and hair zinc after 12 mo, common infections monthly postintervention and nutrient adequacy postintervention via 24-h recalls. Intervention diets were more diverse and of higher quality than the control diets, supplying significantly more animal source foods, especially soft-boned fish, but less phytic acid (p < 0.01). Median intakes of energy, protein, calcium, available zinc, heme iron and vitamin B-12 were greater (p < 0.05) in intervention compared to the control groups; some spread of knowledge and practices to the control groups occurred. Intervention enhanced Z-scores for mid-upper-arm circumference and arm muscle area (p < 0.001), but had no impact on weight or height gain. After controlling for baseline variables, mean hemoglobin was higher (107 vs. 102 g/L; p < 0.01) postintervention, whereas incidence of anemia and common infections were lower in the intervention groups compared to the control groups, with no change in malaria or hair zinc status. Dietary strategies reduced the prevalence of inadequate intakes of protein, calcium, zinc and vitamin B-12, but not iron, because fish was the major source of animal food consumed. More efforts to raise small animals and promote their consumption are needed to enhance dietary quality and ensure optimal growth, health and cognitive development in young Malawian children.

This review describes household dietary strategies to improve the content and bioavailability of zinc in predominantly plant-based diets and the implementation of these strategies in a community-based dietary intervention study in rural southern Malawi. The strategies involve increasing intakes of foods with high bioavailable-zinc contents, absorption enhancers, or both and using germination, fermentation, and soaking to reduce intake of phytic acid, a potent inhibitor of zinc absorption. The strategies were implemented at the household level in Malawi through a participatory research process that focused on building relationships with the community and involving them in the design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation processes. In this way, community participation and awareness of zinc deficiency might be enhanced and the dietary strategies planned will be appropriate and sustainable.Am J Clin Nutr 1998; 68(suppl):484S-7S.

Abstract

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