Sustainability Via Active Garden Education

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Physical Activity
• Interventions: Behavioral: Child Safety Attention Comparison; Behavioral: Physical Activity

• Registration Number: NCT03261492
• Lead Sponsor: Arizona State University

Brief Summary

The goal of SAGE is to determine if a garden-based curriculum can increase physical activity and improve nutrition in young children at early care and education centers (ECEC) throughout Phoenix

Detailed Description

SAGE will be delivered over a four month period using a cluster randomized controlled trial adapted crossover design, along with testing a sustainability action plan (SAP) at the organizational level. In this study, the investigators will determine the efficacy of the SAGE intervention on health in 3-4 year-old children. This study will pair match and randomize 20 ECEC from neighborhoods with high proportions of Hispanic or Latino residents. ECEC will receive either the SAGE intervention or the safety attention comparison. Then, ECEC will cross over and receive the treatment that they did not receive to ensure that all ECEC receive both curricula. The investigators will determine improvement in accelerometry measured PA and sedentary behaviors, fruit and vegetable consumption and explore eating in the absence of hunger compared to those in a child safety attention comparison. The investigators will explore secondary impacts on parenting practices that promote PA and fruit and vegetable consumption, home fruit and vegetable availability and improved household food security. This study will explore the process of delivery of the SAGE intervention on dimensions of reach, adoption, and implementation. This study will also develop, implement, and evaluate a SAP in the SAGE arm to determine replicability and institutionalization (sustainability) of the SAGE intervention and explore the relationship between of sustainability to child outcomes at follow-up. The development and success of the community Partnership and SAGE Community Advisory Board will also be evaluated using indicators of participation, representativeness, and collaboration. This study will rely on CBPR strategies and an established theoretical model to implement an engaging and translational multilevel intervention linking policy and practice. This work will test strategies for implementing IOM guidelines at the ECE level and will guide future efforts aimed at scaling up efficacious interventions for broad dissemination in vulnerable populations to reduce health disparities.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2017-01-30
• Study First Submitted: 2017-04-13
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-08-22
• Study First Posted: 2017-08-25
• Primary Completion: 2020-07-30
• Study Completion: 2021-12-31
• Status Verified: 2025-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-04-21
• Last Update Posted: 2025-04-24

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 712

Inclusion Criteria

• Census tracts with >30% Hispanic-Latino population
• ECEC must be licensed and enroll at least 35 children aged 3-4 years old
• Space for garden install

Exclusion Criteria

• Not participating in CACFP
• No space for a garden
• Less than 35 children aged 3-5 years old enrolled

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Child Safety Attention Comparison	Child Safety Attention Comparison	The goal of this comparison group is to provide centers with an engaging, useful, carefully sequenced, and easy-to-deliver curriculum so that randomization to this group does not influence attrition or reach and serves as a placebo (unlikely to affect outcomes of interest. The curriculum will include concepts and lessons for educating young children on fire, pedestrian, water, household, neighborhood and playground safety. The curriculum includes handouts, coloring sheets, comic books, games, and songs that can be implemented with minimal training and preparation.
Physical Activity	Physical Activity	SAGE curriculum is a garden-based PA and nutrition educational program and presently includes 12 lessons that can be delivered once or twice a week. The SAGE garden-based curriculum includes active games and discussion as well as activities that include watering the ECEC garden.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
fruit and vegetable consumption	Four assessment periods: baseline, 4 months, 8 months weeks, and 12 months	24 hr diet recalls
Change physical activity; sedentary time	Four assessment periods: baseline, 4 months, 8 months weeks, and 12 months	Assessed by ActiGraph accelerometers

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Impact on improved home fruit and vegetable availability	Four assessment periods: baseline, 4 months, 8 months weeks, and 12 months	Assessed by completing Home Food Inventory questionnaire
Impact on parenting practices in physical activity (PA)	Four assessment periods: baseline, 4 months, 8 months weeks, and 12 months	Assessed by physical activity
Impact on parenting practices in fruits and vegetables	Four assessment periods: baseline, 4 months, 8 months weeks, and 12 months	Assessed by fruit and vegetable pactices questionnaire

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Arizona State University; 🇺🇸 Phoenix, Arizona, United States