Impact of School Garden Participation on the Health Behaviors of Children

Objectives: This systematic review examined the impact of garden-based intervention on nutritional knowledge, fruit/vegetable consumption, taste preferences, physical activity, and math/ science academic achievements. Methods: We conducted this literature search in April 2015 using the computerized databases Web of Knowledge and SCOPUS. Results: Fourteen studies were reviewed. Eleven studies examined dietary outcomes and 2 observed physical activity and 2 assessed math and science achievement. Findings suggest that school gardening programs ideally should include a nutritional component to increase participants' nutritional knowledge, and fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as broaden taste preferences. Conclusion: An educational curriculum in addition to gardening activities appears to be an effective strategy for enhancing attitudes toward healthy foods and healthy dietary behaviors.