‘I learned this in the gardening group’

The impact of a community garden on children and their families’ eating habits

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21530689
AutoresVenessa Kelly (Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway), V Nigel Kelly (Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway), Emma Brännlund (0000-0003-0913-0349, Mid Sweden University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2025
Volumen44
Número2
Páginas325-340
Fecha de publicación2025-04-03
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaIrish Educational Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0332-3315 • E-ISSN: 1747-4965
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03323315.2024.2314312
OpenAlexW4391823099
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas22

Increased scholarly and practitioner attention has been paid to community gardens and their potential impact on community building and sustainability, as well as a tool to combat the decline in physical and mental well-being connected to childhood obesity. Specifically, community gardens may play a role in on families' eating habits, and there is a need to investigate parents' perspectives of their children's involvement in a rural community garden and to explore the impact this has on children's and their families' healthy eating habits. This is a small-scale pilot study of children's involvement in a community garden. Using a qualitative design method, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore parents' viewpoints of their children's eating habits prior to and after the children's involvement. The data gathered was coded and organised into emerging themes for interpretation. The study found indications that children's involvement in a community garden has a positive impact on children's social development, confidence and food awareness, along with a noticeable influence on the family's general healthy food consumption. While the findings suggest that involvement in a community garden has positive impact on children's eating habits, further research is needed with a higher number of participants for more accurate data

Geography · Indigenous and Place-Based Education · Organic Food and Agriculture · Psychology · Urban Agriculture and Sustainability