Urban gardens and build of environments promoters of healthy eating

Author(s)

Mariana Tarricone Garcia

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP/CIR)
• Defense date: 2016-08-09

Examining board members

Claudia Maria Bógus; Inês Rugani Ribeiro de Castro; Silvia do Amaral Rigon; Ligia Amparo da Silva Santos; Patrícia Coelho de Soárez

• Advisor: Claudia Maria Bógus

Abstract

Introduction: Eating is culturally and socially constructed and a basic human right, besides being influenced by social determinants, access, environment and food system. Often, individuals living in urban areas are disconnected from the food life cycle. Urban gardens promote a collective learning through experience and experimentation and can be seen as a place full of opportunities for adequate and healthy food practice. Objectives: 1) To identify and to synthesise the studies published between 2005 and 2015 that evaluated the influence of participation in urban gardens on outcomes related to food and nutrition among adults and elderly people; 2) To describe the acquisition of fruits and vegetables practices by residents in socially disadvantaged areas of Sao Paulo Metropolitan Region - Brazil and how they perceive access to these foods in those environments; and 3) To describe the influences on eating resulting from children\'s experience with growing food in school gardens. Methods: The thesis comprises three manuscripts. In the first one we undertook a systematic review of studies published between 2005 and 2015, selected from searching in five databases, involving non-institutionalized adults and/or elderly participants of urban gardens reporting results on eating. In the second manuscript we conducted interviews with residents in four Basic Health Units\' areas in a city located in the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Region - Brazil. In the third one we conducted interviews with educators and students parents from three schools developing school gardens in the same city. Results: Studies included in the systematic review showed from the experiences with urban gardens we identified themes related to adequate and healthy eating: higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, increased access to healthy food, more recognition of the importance of cooking, sharing the harvest with family and friends, greater importance of organic production and greater importance of adequate and healthy eating. Regarding interviews with residents, they highlighted the insufficient supply of fruits and vegetables, demand for greater variety of these foods, lack of stores that sell greater variety of fruits and vegetables, association of adequate and healthy eating with high cost, and decrease in the number of street markets attributed to emergence of supermarkets. Concerning the school gardens, the activity brought elements to think about the act of eating and about food by itself through the knowledge created by direct contact with farming, and caused changes not only among children but also among families involved with the activities. This was reflected in concrete changes in diet, increased knowledge about food and food system, as well as greater appreciation of garden produce and a greater willingness to try new foods. Conclusions: Food environment can be a restrictive factor for adequate and healthy eating practice. Thus, urban gardens, through contact with nature, awareness of the the act of eating, and greater access to fruits and vegetables, contribute to adequate and healthy eating promotion. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/21730-4 - Urban agriculture as a strategy to health and healthy eating promotion.
• Grantee: Mariana Tarricone Garcia
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate