Sustainability via Active Garden Education (SAGE)
Meeting physical activity guidelines in early care and education: Sustainability via Active Garden Education (SAGE) Rebecca E. Lee, PhD College of Nursing and Health Innovation Arizona State University Erica G. Soltero, BA, Tracey A. Ledoux, PhD, Nathan Parker, MPH, Lorna McNeill, PhD University of Houston, MD Anderson Cancer Research Center
Outline • Sustainability • Active Garden Education • Outcomes
Sustainability Micro Organizational
Exo/Meso Individual
Leadership
Macro Policy Setting
Feasibility Impact Sustainability Implementers
Families
Sustainability • Replicability—Repeatability, complexity, the moving parts • Institutionalization—integration into organization policies, leadership and priorities • Continuation of benefits—maintaining organizational and individual benefits • Community context and capacity—support and will from community • Cost—more/less expensive than something more/less effective
Science & Community
(R21 HD073685)
(U13 HD063190)
Open Forum Symposia (N=103)
In Depth Interviews (N=22)
Opportunity Receptions (N=62)
Develop a research proposal
Community Advisory Board
Disseminate information Build the partnership Develop a shared agenda
Develop understanding of the how and why of obesity
Introduce Science & Community Build a Network Collect Information
Heinrich KM, Lee RE, Regan GR, Reese-Smith JY, Howard HH, Haddock CK, Poston WS, Ahluwalia JS. How does the built environment relate to body mass index and obesity prevalence among public housing residents? Am J Health Promot. 2008 Jan-Feb;22(3):187-94.
Institutionalization into Practice: Early Care and Education • Meets national accreditation standards • Easy implementation • Fun and engaging • Technical support • Champion • Family engagement
School Gardens • Small gardens were built at all participating centers. • Gardens were built using cinder blocks and were Strawberries four feet wide and six feet long.
Cucumbers Squash Mint Sage Tomatoes Radishes
SAGE Curriculum • 12 modularized sessions • Meets national guidelines for physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake • Meets ECE accreditation standards • Uses the plant lifecycle as a metaphor for human development • Features experiential outdoor and indoor multi-sensory activities • Provides technical support
SAGE Session Topics Session 1: Where Does My Food Come From? Session 2: Nutrients for Growth Session 3: I Don’t Want to be a Couch Potato! Session 4: It’s a Watery World Session 5: Chart the Growth Session 6: Hungry Humans, Hungry Plants Session 7: Am I Hungry or Full? Session 8: Eating to Make my Body Strong! Session 9: Being Active in the Garden! Session 10: Nutrients to Stay Healthy Session 11: Time to Harvest! Session 12: Garden Party
SAGE Activities
SWAG !
SAGE Activities
• Active games to illustrate gardening is a great source of physical activity • Watering, weeding and harvesting the garden • Tastings emphasizing look, touch, smell, taste
Parent Involvement • Weekly parent newsletters were sent home with the children to keep parents informed of all SAGE activities. • The newsletters highlighted local garden and physical activity opportunities and included a healthy fruit or vegetable recipe. • Need for text messages and higher connectivity.
SAGE: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT) • Delivery agents evaluated each lesson • Scientific team and CAB solved weaknesses and threats and capitalized on strengths and opportunities • Lessons were modified SAGE Pilot 2 • Improved outcomes and smoother implementation
SAGE Impact Physical Activity (Minutes/Hour) Time 1
Sedentary Time (minutes/hour)
Time 2
16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
Time 1
Time 2
52 50 48 46
44 42 SAGE 1
SAGE 2
SAGE 1
SAGE 2
SAGE Impact Parents told us that… • SAGE improved their child’s knowledge of PA (83%) • SAGE improved their own knowledge of PA (69%) • Children asked to do SAGE activities at home (54%) • Parenting practices that encouraged PA increased from before (M=57.8) to after (M=69.4) in SAGE2 (t=-2.204, p=.052)
• Good fit with the SAGE ECE Directors and Teachers existing curriculum • “SAGE would fit in very well with our curriculum.” • to Addressed PAaand • “To watch it grow from a plant harvest was nutrition very good extension of their science learning and learning about nature.” • Developmentally • “I think that we can expound upon a lot of our appropriate lessons with a garden.” • Fun • “I think it had a positive impact. It was something we really looked forward to on Mondays and Fridays. It was fun. It gave us a framework that we could just build on that during the week.”
• Not enough time SAGE ECE Directors and Teachers • •Teachers tooreally busyfollowed through with things “We haven’t thatof we’ve tried to establish is just the time • Lack garden constraint and the time that it does take to get knowledge out there and pull the weeds and do the different • Financial resources things that you have to do with a garden. ” • “It’s hard to maintain them because the teachers are busy.” • “We just don’t have the financial resources to keep it—I don’t see any barriers.”
Is SAGE… • • • • •
Replicable? Institutionalized? Provide continuing benefits? Supported by the community context? Reasonable cost?
Is SAGE… Replicable? YES • Institutionalized? Possibilities exist • Provide continuing benefits? TBD Supported by the community context? YES Reasonable cost? YES to implement, maintenance TBD
Conclusions • Multilevel, coordinated interventions can help meet national policy guidelines. • Participatory research and partnerships help foster feasibility and sustainability. • Need for continued organizational support. • Researchers, policy makers and practitioners can all help and benefit from working together.
Questions?
Rebecca E. Lee, PhD Arizona State University [email protected]
Outline • Sustainability • Active Garden Education • Outcomes
Sustainability Micro Organizational
Exo/Meso Individual
Leadership
Macro Policy Setting
Feasibility Impact Sustainability Implementers
Families
Sustainability • Replicability—Repeatability, complexity, the moving parts • Institutionalization—integration into organization policies, leadership and priorities • Continuation of benefits—maintaining organizational and individual benefits • Community context and capacity—support and will from community • Cost—more/less expensive than something more/less effective
Science & Community
(R21 HD073685)
(U13 HD063190)
Open Forum Symposia (N=103)
In Depth Interviews (N=22)
Opportunity Receptions (N=62)
Develop a research proposal
Community Advisory Board
Disseminate information Build the partnership Develop a shared agenda
Develop understanding of the how and why of obesity
Introduce Science & Community Build a Network Collect Information
Heinrich KM, Lee RE, Regan GR, Reese-Smith JY, Howard HH, Haddock CK, Poston WS, Ahluwalia JS. How does the built environment relate to body mass index and obesity prevalence among public housing residents? Am J Health Promot. 2008 Jan-Feb;22(3):187-94.
Institutionalization into Practice: Early Care and Education • Meets national accreditation standards • Easy implementation • Fun and engaging • Technical support • Champion • Family engagement
School Gardens • Small gardens were built at all participating centers. • Gardens were built using cinder blocks and were Strawberries four feet wide and six feet long.
Cucumbers Squash Mint Sage Tomatoes Radishes
SAGE Curriculum • 12 modularized sessions • Meets national guidelines for physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake • Meets ECE accreditation standards • Uses the plant lifecycle as a metaphor for human development • Features experiential outdoor and indoor multi-sensory activities • Provides technical support
SAGE Session Topics Session 1: Where Does My Food Come From? Session 2: Nutrients for Growth Session 3: I Don’t Want to be a Couch Potato! Session 4: It’s a Watery World Session 5: Chart the Growth Session 6: Hungry Humans, Hungry Plants Session 7: Am I Hungry or Full? Session 8: Eating to Make my Body Strong! Session 9: Being Active in the Garden! Session 10: Nutrients to Stay Healthy Session 11: Time to Harvest! Session 12: Garden Party
SAGE Activities
SWAG !
SAGE Activities
• Active games to illustrate gardening is a great source of physical activity • Watering, weeding and harvesting the garden • Tastings emphasizing look, touch, smell, taste
Parent Involvement • Weekly parent newsletters were sent home with the children to keep parents informed of all SAGE activities. • The newsletters highlighted local garden and physical activity opportunities and included a healthy fruit or vegetable recipe. • Need for text messages and higher connectivity.
SAGE: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT) • Delivery agents evaluated each lesson • Scientific team and CAB solved weaknesses and threats and capitalized on strengths and opportunities • Lessons were modified SAGE Pilot 2 • Improved outcomes and smoother implementation
SAGE Impact Physical Activity (Minutes/Hour) Time 1
Sedentary Time (minutes/hour)
Time 2
16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
Time 1
Time 2
52 50 48 46
44 42 SAGE 1
SAGE 2
SAGE 1
SAGE 2
SAGE Impact Parents told us that… • SAGE improved their child’s knowledge of PA (83%) • SAGE improved their own knowledge of PA (69%) • Children asked to do SAGE activities at home (54%) • Parenting practices that encouraged PA increased from before (M=57.8) to after (M=69.4) in SAGE2 (t=-2.204, p=.052)
• Good fit with the SAGE ECE Directors and Teachers existing curriculum • “SAGE would fit in very well with our curriculum.” • to Addressed PAaand • “To watch it grow from a plant harvest was nutrition very good extension of their science learning and learning about nature.” • Developmentally • “I think that we can expound upon a lot of our appropriate lessons with a garden.” • Fun • “I think it had a positive impact. It was something we really looked forward to on Mondays and Fridays. It was fun. It gave us a framework that we could just build on that during the week.”
• Not enough time SAGE ECE Directors and Teachers • •Teachers tooreally busyfollowed through with things “We haven’t thatof we’ve tried to establish is just the time • Lack garden constraint and the time that it does take to get knowledge out there and pull the weeds and do the different • Financial resources things that you have to do with a garden. ” • “It’s hard to maintain them because the teachers are busy.” • “We just don’t have the financial resources to keep it—I don’t see any barriers.”
Is SAGE… • • • • •
Replicable? Institutionalized? Provide continuing benefits? Supported by the community context? Reasonable cost?
Is SAGE… Replicable? YES • Institutionalized? Possibilities exist • Provide continuing benefits? TBD Supported by the community context? YES Reasonable cost? YES to implement, maintenance TBD
Conclusions • Multilevel, coordinated interventions can help meet national policy guidelines. • Participatory research and partnerships help foster feasibility and sustainability. • Need for continued organizational support. • Researchers, policy makers and practitioners can all help and benefit from working together.
Questions?
Rebecca E. Lee, PhD Arizona State University [email protected]
