Design and Participant Characteristics of TX Sprouts: A School-based Cluster Randomized Gardening, Nutrition, and Cooking Intervention

Aims: To outline the study design, outcome measures, protocol and baseline characteristics of enrolled participants of Texas (TX) Sprouts, a one-year school-based gardening, nutrition, and cooking cluster randomized trial.

Methods: Eight schools were randomly assigned to the TX Sprouts intervention and eight schools to the delayed intervention over three years (2016-2019). The intervention arm received: formation/training of Garden Leadership Committees; a 0.25-acre outdoor teaching garden; 18 student lessons including gardening, nutrition, and cooking activities, taught weekly during school hours by hired educators throughout one school year; and nine parent lessons taught monthly to families. The delayed intervention was implemented the following academic year and received the same protocol as the intervention arm. Primary outcomes included: dietary intake, dietary-related behaviors, obesity, and metabolic parameters. Child measures included: height, weight, waist circumference, body composition, blood pressure, and dietary psychosocial variables. A subsample of children were measured for glucose, hemoglobin-A1C, and 24-hour dietary recalls. Parent measures included: height and weight, dietary intake, and related dietary psychosocial variables.

Results: Of the 4239 eligible students, 3137 students consented and provided baseline clinical measures; 3132 students completed child surveys, with 92% of their parents completing parent surveys. The subsamples of blood draws and dietary recalls were 34% and 24%, respectively. Intervention arm baseline descriptives, clinical and dietary data for children and parents are reported.

Conclusion: The TX Sprouts intervention targeted primarily low-income Hispanic children and their parents; utilized an interactive gardening, nutrition, and cooking program; and measured a battery of dietary behaviors, obesity and metabolic outcomes.