Food Resource Equity and Sustainability for Health
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Cardiology / Vascular Diseases |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 3 - Any |
| Updated: | 3/21/2019 |
| Start Date: | August 22, 2017 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2018 |
Food insecurity increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. American
Indians (AIs) in Oklahoma are three times as likely as Whites to be food-insecure (21% vs.
7%) and have burdens of obesity (42%), hypertension (38%), and diabetes (15%) that exceed
those of the general US population. While individual-level obesity prevention efforts have
been implemented with AIs, few environmental interventions to reduce food insecurity and
improve fruit and vegetable intake have been conducted with tribal communities. Community
gardening interventions have been shown to increase vegetable and fruit intake, reduce food
insecurity, and lower BMI among children and adults; however, to date, no such interventions
have been evaluated with AI families. The proposed study, entitled "Food Equity Resource and
Sustainability for Health (FRESH)," will assess the impact of a tribally-initiated community
gardening intervention on vegetable and fruit intake, food insecurity, BMI, and blood
pressure in families living on the Osage Nation reservation in Oklahoma.
Indians (AIs) in Oklahoma are three times as likely as Whites to be food-insecure (21% vs.
7%) and have burdens of obesity (42%), hypertension (38%), and diabetes (15%) that exceed
those of the general US population. While individual-level obesity prevention efforts have
been implemented with AIs, few environmental interventions to reduce food insecurity and
improve fruit and vegetable intake have been conducted with tribal communities. Community
gardening interventions have been shown to increase vegetable and fruit intake, reduce food
insecurity, and lower BMI among children and adults; however, to date, no such interventions
have been evaluated with AI families. The proposed study, entitled "Food Equity Resource and
Sustainability for Health (FRESH)," will assess the impact of a tribally-initiated community
gardening intervention on vegetable and fruit intake, food insecurity, BMI, and blood
pressure in families living on the Osage Nation reservation in Oklahoma.
The intervention will take place in the inaugural year of Osage Nation's Bird Creek Farm and
Community Gardens, where 120 garden plots will be allocated to participating reservation
families. The study is guided by the principles of community-based participatory research
(CBPR) and the Indigenous food sovereignty movement, which seeks to revitalize seasonal
growing and gathering practices and reverse the tide of unhealthy eating caused by the
historical loss of tribal lands.
Aims and Methods: Led by an AI (Choctaw) Investigator, the study will:
Aim #1: Characterize the Osage Nation reservation's food environment by using both objective
and perceived measures, and then examine the relationships between these measures and intake
of vegetables and fruits, food insecurity, BMI, hypertension, and diabetes.
Aim #2: Develop a culturally relevant community gardening intervention and conduct a
randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate its efficacy in increasing vegetable and fruit
intake and reducing food insecurity, BMI, and blood pressure among Osage families.
Aim #3: Create and disseminate a Web- based multimedia manual and documentary film, and
evaluate their effectiveness in increasing tribal readiness and capacity to improve local
food environments.
Innovation: The proposed study will be the first RCT ever conducted of a community gardening
intervention, as well as the first community gardening intervention with AI families. The
study will also be one of the first environmental interventions o simultaneously address
healthy food production, access, preference, and intake among AIs.
Significance and Impact: The community gardening intervention will be developed as part of a
larger Osage Nation initiative on food security and food sovereignty and as such, is likely
to be sustainable if it proves effective. Research findings and products will be disseminated
to AI/AN communities nationwide and will help to identify environmental strategies that will
improve tribal food environments and the health and quality of life of AI families.
Community Gardens, where 120 garden plots will be allocated to participating reservation
families. The study is guided by the principles of community-based participatory research
(CBPR) and the Indigenous food sovereignty movement, which seeks to revitalize seasonal
growing and gathering practices and reverse the tide of unhealthy eating caused by the
historical loss of tribal lands.
Aims and Methods: Led by an AI (Choctaw) Investigator, the study will:
Aim #1: Characterize the Osage Nation reservation's food environment by using both objective
and perceived measures, and then examine the relationships between these measures and intake
of vegetables and fruits, food insecurity, BMI, hypertension, and diabetes.
Aim #2: Develop a culturally relevant community gardening intervention and conduct a
randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate its efficacy in increasing vegetable and fruit
intake and reducing food insecurity, BMI, and blood pressure among Osage families.
Aim #3: Create and disseminate a Web- based multimedia manual and documentary film, and
evaluate their effectiveness in increasing tribal readiness and capacity to improve local
food environments.
Innovation: The proposed study will be the first RCT ever conducted of a community gardening
intervention, as well as the first community gardening intervention with AI families. The
study will also be one of the first environmental interventions o simultaneously address
healthy food production, access, preference, and intake among AIs.
Significance and Impact: The community gardening intervention will be developed as part of a
larger Osage Nation initiative on food security and food sovereignty and as such, is likely
to be sustainable if it proves effective. Research findings and products will be disseminated
to AI/AN communities nationwide and will help to identify environmental strategies that will
improve tribal food environments and the health and quality of life of AI families.
Inclusion Criteria:
- American Indian Children aged 3-5 who attend one of the Osage Nation Early Childhood
Programs
- Parents of American Indian children who are aged 18 years and older and whose children
are enrolled in Osage Nation Early Childhood Programs
Exclusion Criteria:
- Anyone not meeting the aforementioned inclusion criteria
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