Growing Healthy Hearts: Gardening Program Feasibility in a Hospital-Based Community Garden

Abstract

Objective: To assess feasibility in terms of acceptability, demand, and participant willingness to engage in gardening activities during an intervention delivered at a hospital-based community garden for patients at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods: In a pre-post study design, 15 adults with ≥1 CVD risk factor attended 5 education sessions over 12 weeks, tended garden beds, and completed questionnaires related to program acceptability and future gardening intentions. Interviews were used to identify areas for programmatic improvement.

Results: Most participants rated the intervention as good or excellent (93%), and 73% indicated that it was likely that they would garden next season. Areas for programmatic improvement included creating opportunities for group discussion, providing online materials, and offering more cooking and gardening content.

Conclusions and implications: Gardening as an intervention for adult patients with CVD risk factors is feasible. Assessment of the effect of gardening on health outcomes and dietary intake is warranted.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease; fruit and vegetable intake; garden intervention; situated learning theory.