(OR02-07-22) The Impact of an After-School Garden Enhanced Education (GENE) on Skin Carotenoids as a Measure of Vegetable Consumption on Diverse, Low-Income Children

Objectives: School gardens can have a positive impact on children's preference and intake of vegetables using a multi-component gardening curriculum. Reflection spectroscopy (RS) is a noninvasive method of measuring skin carotenoid levels which correlates with fruit and vegetable intake. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston (BGCGH) provide after-school and summer programs for diverse, low-income youth. The purpose of this study was to determine if a new nutrition garden program increased skin carotenoid scores of BGCGH children as a measure of vegetable consumption.

Methods: Children age 6-13 years participated in a ten-week Garden Enhanced Nutrition Education (GENE) Program adapted from the Texas AgriLife program “Learn, Grow, Eat and Go!”. The GENE curriculum was delivered by a Texas Woman’s University (TWU) graduate student. During the fall of 2021, children at two after-school BGCGH clubs participated in the GENE study. The program consisted of hands-on gardening, nutrition instruction, and sampling of vegetables. Measurement of skin carotenoid scores using the Veggie Meter ® served as a marker of vegetable consumption. Skin melanin index was measured utilizing a Konica Minolta 600D spectrophotometer. Outcomes included changes in body height and weight. Wilcoxon signed rank tests compared pre and post GENE Program intervention.

Results: A total of 30 club members participated in the study. Children self-identified themselves as either Black (54%), Hispanic or Latino (24%), White (20%), or Multiracial (2%). Sex was distributed as 76% female and 24% male. Body mass index averaged 23.2 ± 5.6 at baseline. Height and weight of children increased significantly over the ten-week study. Individual skin carotenoid scores of several children in the treatment group (43%) increased. Group skin carotenoids score averages followed an upward trend (174 ± 55 pre to 192 ± 67 post), but changes were not significant. Melanin index was not correlated with skin carotenoid scores. A total of 49.7 pounds of produce were harvested at the BGCGH clubs over the ten-week study.

Conclusions: Skin carotenoid scores of ethnically diverse, low-income children increased when children participated in a ten-week garden nutrition program, though statistical significance was not shown.

Funding Sources: Moore-Khourie Grant