Does participating in community gardens promote sustainable lifestyles in urban settings? Design and protocol of the JArDinS study

• Main Authors: Marion Tharrey (Author), Marlène Perignon (Author), Pascale Scheromm (Author), Caroline Mejean (Author), Nicole Darmon (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: BMC, 2019-05-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.1186/s12889-019-6815-0; 1471-2458
• Keywords: Diet; Food prices; Environment; Physical activity; Nature; Well-being; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: BMC Public Health, Vol 19, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2019)

Abstract Background Despite growing evidence for the multiple health benefits of community gardening, longitudinal studies based on quantitative data are needed. Here we describe the protocol of JArDinS, a quasi-experimental study, aimed at assessing the impact of community garden participation (a natural experiment) in the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles. Methods Gardeners (n = 80) starting gardening in a community garden in Montpellier (France) will be recruited. Volunteers with no experience in community gardening and matched for age range, gender, household income and household composition will be recruited in a control group (n = 80). The sustainability of lifestyles in its social/health, environmental and economic dimensions will be assessed from a food supply diary (recording type, quantity and price of foods acquired in a 1-month period and the carbon impact of relevant food trips), a triaxial accelerometer (measuring physical activity) and online questionnaires on mental and social health, sensitivity to food waste, and connection with nature. Change of outcomes after 1 year will be compared between the natural experiment and the control groups. Discussion This study will provide information on the impact of participation in a community garden on the different dimensions of sustainability, based on a robust quasi-experimental design allowing causality evaluation. Trial registration The JArDinS study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03694782. Date of registration: 3rd October 2018, retrospectively registered.