Denver Urban Gardens - Research: Health and Community Impact

Research: Health and Community Impact

DUG and the Colorado School of Public Health (CSPH) have worked together since 2004 on a community based, participatory research initiative called “Gardens for Growing Healthy Communities (GGHC)” in order to understand how community gardens support healthy living. A conceptual model developed by GGHC describes community gardens as an ecological place, a social place, a cultural place, an individual place, and a healthy place – demonstrating the meaningful and multiple domains impacted by a community garden. Research conducted through GGHC is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Health Protection Research Initiative, the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, and the J.R. Albert Foundation.

A population-based survey led by Dr. Litt of CSPH in 2006 and 2007 examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake, social involvement, neighborhood attachment, perceived neighborhood aesthetics and home and community gardening. 436 residents from households (all households were located within 1 mile of a community garden) and community gardens across 58 block groups in Denver were randomly selected to participate. Results showed that individuals that participated in community and home gardens reported higher fruit and vegetable intake than did non-gardeners. Specifically, 56% of community gardeners consumed fruits and vegetables at least 5 times per day, compared with 37% of home gardeners and 25% of non-gardeners. Physical activity was also positively associated with fruit and vegetable consumption as was higher levels of social involvement and more positive perceptions of neighborhood aesthetics.

Another GGHC study led by James Hale interviewed 67 gardeners from 28 Denver urban gardens to explore gardeners' tactile, emotional, and value-driven responses to gardening and these responses influence health. Gardeners described the contrast between the traffic, noise and pollution of the city with the silence, nature sounds and cool of the garden. They explained how growing their own food led to improved enjoyment of vegetables, and increased quanitity and diversity of vegetables consumed. Also, gardeners spoke of gardens increasing their leisure-time physical activity in biking and walking to the garden and then in the planting, raking, digging and other garden chores. Finally, many gardeners described gardening as a therapeutic experience, where they were able to work through mental pain and express emotions in a healthy way.

A third study conducted through GGHC examined the social processes involved with community gardening. The results showed that gardens offer social opportunities, a non-threatening way to participate in a group, the sense of safety and security even in a garden located in a dangerous area, encouraged friendship, and mutual trust. The gardens promoted constructive relationships and enhanced conflict resolution skills among diverse members of the garden. The study concluded "place-based social processes found in community gardens support collective efficacy, a powerful mechanism for enhancing the role of gardens in promoting health."