LA sprouts randomized controlled nutrition, cooking and gardening programme reduces obesity and metabolic risk in Hispanic/Latino youth

Background: Many programmes for children that involve gardening and nutrition components exist; however, none include experimental designs allowing more rigorous evaluation of their impact on obesity. Objectives: The objective of this study is to explore the effects of a novel 12-week gardening, nutrition and cooking intervention {‘LA Sprouts’} on dietary intake, obesity parameters and metabolic disease risk among low-income, primarily Hispanic/Latino youth in Los Angeles. Methods: This study used a randomized control trial involving four elementary schools [two randomized to intervention {172, 3rd–5th grade students}; two randomized to control {147, 3rd–5th grade students}]. Classes were taught in 90-min sessions once per week for 12 weeks. Data collected at pre-intervention and post-intervention included dietary intake via food frequency questionnaire, anthropometric measures {body mass index, waist circumference}, body fat, and fasting blood samples. Results: LA Sprouts participants compared with controls had significantly greater reductions in body mass index z-scores {−0.1 vs. −0.04, respectively; p = 0.01} and waist circumference {−1.2 vs. 0.1 cm; p < 0.001}. Fewer LA Sprouts participants had the metabolic syndrome after the intervention than before, while controls with metabolic syndrome increased. LA Sprouts participants compared with controls increased dietary fiber intake {+3.4% vs. −16.5%; p = 0.04}. All participants decreased vegetable intake, but decreases were less in LA Sprouts than controls {−3.7% vs. −26.1%; p = 0.04}. Change in fruit intake did not differ between LA Sprouts and controls. Conclusions: LA Sprouts was effective in reducing obesity and metabolic risk; however, additional larger and longer-term studies are warranted.