Nutrients · 10 authors, 4 centres
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This realist synthesis of 24 school gardening interventions found that a combination of mechanisms, including curriculum integration, experiential learning, and family engagement, leads to improved health and well-being outcomes in school-aged children. The evidence is limited to high-income countries, which may restrict generalizability to other settings.
School gardening interventions are used to promote healthier eating and physical activity in children, addressing issues like childhood obesity and food insecurity. This realist synthesis aims to understand how these interventions improve health and well-being outcomes. Methods: The study employed a systematic realist synthesis approach, analyzing 24 school gardening interventions identified through a three-stage process. Literature was searched in Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed for systematic and meta-analysis reviews published between 2012 and 2021. Data extraction used the TIDieR checklist, and analysis involved Context-Mechanism-Outcome configurations. Key Results: Positive outcomes, such as increased fruit and vegetable consumption, dietary fiber and vitamins A and C intake, improved BMI, and enhanced well-being, are achieved through mechanisms including integrating nutrition and garden education into the curriculum, experiential learning, family engagement, authority figure involvement, cultural context, multi-pronged approaches, and reinforcement of activities. Most interventions were in primary schools with children in Grades 2-6, primarily in high-income countries. Limitations: Generalizability is limited as most interventions were based in high-income countries like Australia, the UK, and the US. The evidence relies on self-report and non-randomized study designs. Implications: The findings provide a framework for designing effective school gardening programs by combining key mechanisms, supporting public health efforts to improve children's health and well-being.
