Navajo Gardening Survey: Navajo Gardening Survey: Why Garden?

Deina M. Barton

SREP 2012

Site Description:

Tsaile/ Wheatfields

Site Description:

Tsaile/ Wheatfields Wheatfields

ChapterWheatfields

Chapter

� Population: 2, 250

� Ts4 h9l77 – Water flows through the rocks

� Within the Navajo Nation Reservation

� Chinle Service Unit area

Site Description (continued)

�Community-based participatory research

• Community assessment data – “Assess [a] family’s interest, resources, activities, barriers, and attitudes relating to gardening as a means of addressing nutrition and physical activity to improve of addressing nutrition and physical activity to improve health outcomes”

�Complete:30 face to face surveys for the Navajo Gardening, Nutrition, and Wellness project, within the Tsaile/ Wheatfields community.

Demographics

Population

Native American

White

Other

Gender

Male Female

47%

53%

US Census Bureau

Demographics

Age

40%Under 18

% of Population

Employment

# of Population

6%

17%

22%

14%

40%

65+

45-64

25-44

18-24

Under 18

376

49

688

Employed

Unemployed

Not in LF

US Census Bureau

Needs Statement

�Community Needs

• 52.8% of Navajo adults, ages 18-64 reported to living a sedentary lifestyle.

• 46.2% of Navajo adults (18-64) who were reported to be obese.

• 46.2% of Navajo adults (18-64) who were reported to be obese.

• 60.5% of Navajo people deemed overweight or obese in the Chinle Service Unit (CSU)area.

• 8.1% diabetes prevalence rate of CSU.

Navajo CHSA 2005

Needs Statement (contin.)• In the Navajo Health and Nutrition Survey, interviewers obtained single 24-h diet recalls from 946 non-pregnant participants age 12-91. Fruits and vegetables were each consumed less than once per day per person.

(Lombard, 2007)

• “The number of reported cases of Type-2 diabetes in the Navajo increased from one person out of 6000 in 1937 to 21-23% of the population aged 20 years and older in 1997, or more than 4 times the rate found in the general US population.”

(Will, 1997)

Literature ReviewLiterature Review• “Denver-area community gardeners consume an average of 5.7 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, compared to 4.6 servings for home gardeners and 3.9 servings for non-gardeners, the team found.”

(Talbott, 2008)

• “A recent study conducted at the Tulane School of Public • “A recent study conducted at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the Harvard School of Public Health has provided further proof to this assertion, having revealed that one's risk of type 2 diabetes may be reduced by consuming more whole fruits and green leafy vegetables on a daily basis.”

(Chow, 2009)

Literature Review�“There is evidence that women tend to spend equal or greater amounts of time gardening compared to men.”

(Armstrong, 2000)

“The principle agro-climate barrier to growing fruits and � “The principle agro-climate barrier to growing fruits and vegetables on the Navajo nation is limited water resources. For example, mean annual rain fall in the northeastern portion of the reservation is low (208mm). Crop irrigation is almost exclusively achieved using river, reservoir, or ground water and, in some cases, must be trucked in containers to homesteads.”

(Lombard, 2006)

Hypothesis 1 Hypothesis 2

� People who garden consume more fruits and

vegetables than people who do not garden.

�Individuals who garden have a higher physical activity rate than non-gardeners.

Hypothesis 3 Hypothesis 4

�Women are more likely to participate in

gardening activities then men.

� People who have running water in their homes are more likely

to have gardens.

Methods� The program’s design was a cross-sectional study and an attempt was made to have the sample match the population in terms of gender, age structure, employment, and use of food supplement programs (WIC, tribal food distribution, or food stamp program).

� Participants were selected from-Their homes within the communityo Their homes within the community

o Tsaile/Wheatfields Chapter House

o Tsaile Fina Store

o Tsaile Health Center

o Dine College campus

� Eligibility requirements:o Ages 18+

o Navajo ethnicity

o Resides in Tsaile/Wheatfields community

Data Collection� Data collection through face to face survey-

Navajo Gardening Survey

�30 face to face surveys were conducted in the Tsaile/Wheatfields community

2 staff members who were fluent in Navajo to �2 staff members who were fluent in Navajo to help with translations

�At most home visit we were able to view the participant’s gardens- we took notes and asked questions regarding their gardening techniques

Navajo Gardening, Nutrition and Wellness Survey

Time Quantity eaten Detail of food

5. Please list all fruits and vegetables consumed on a typical day.

Physical Activity Hours Spent Weekly

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES: Please list the main physical activities that you participate in during a typical week.

Navajo Gardening Survey (Contin.)

GARDENER1. Please select all statements that best describe your interest(s) in

gardening. a. I garden as a hobby or recreational activityb. I garden for profit and selling what I produce c. I garden to produce food for myself and family membersd. Other If other, please describe on the line belowd. Other If other, please describe on the line below

____________________________________________________________

7. Do you have running water at the home mentioned in question 5?a. Yesb. No

Results: Tsaile/Wheatfields

1= Female 2=MaleEmployment by Gender1- Employed 2- Retired 3- Unemployed 4- Student

Gender

1 2

12

10

12

14

53%

47%

5

1 12

5

1

3

0

2

4

6

8

10

Female Male

1 2 3 4

Gardening Interest

13%

1- Did not garden 2- Thought about it , but did not 3- Made preparations, but did not

4- Garden 1yr 5- Garden for several years

13%

40%

7%

13%

27% 1

2

3

4

5

Nutrition

8 8

6

Female Male

0 0

4

3

1

0-3 servings 4-7 servings 8-11 servings 11.5 servings

Fruit & Vegetable Consumption

7

10

Non-gardener Gardner

7

10

54

21

0-3 Servings 4-7 servings 8-11 servings 11.5+ servings

Individual Issues

19

2826

Yes No

11

24

19

Lack of time Physical ability Lack of support

Environmental Issues

26 25 25

29

18

Yes No

4 5 5

1

12

18

Space

Available

Pest Weeds Low Temp Animals

Money Related Issues

23

27 27

23

29

Yes No

7

3 3

7

1

Water Tools Irrigation

systems

Fencing

materials

Gas

Results: Total Survey Participants

�110 completed surveys overall

�30 completed surveys for Tsaile/Wheatfields

��26 completed surveys for Hogback

�27 completed surveys for Lukachukai

�27 completed surveys for Shiprock

Fruit & Vegetable Consumption

62

40

50

60

70Test Statistics Value df p-value

Pearson Chi-Square 3.555 1 0.059

Continuity Adjusted Chi-Square 2.702 1 0.100

1521

12

0

10

20

30

40

0-5 servings 6+ servings

Non-G Gardner

Likelihood Ratio Chi-Square 3.401 1 0.065

�Based on the p-value of 0.059, my hypothesis was not supported. The probability of Gardeners’ consuming more F & V was not significant.

Physical Activity

7062

G Vs. Non-G

Non-G GardenerTest Statistics Value df p-value

Pearson Chi-Square 0.460 1 0.498

Continuity Adjusted Chi-Square 0.132 1 0.716

7 4

150 or below 151+

Square 0.132 1 0.716

Likelihood Ratio Chi-Square 0.467 1 0.494

�Based on the p-value of 0.498 my hypothesis was

not supported. The probability of people who garden work out more

than non-gardeners is not significant.

Gender & GardeningGender & Gardening

44

33

25

30

35

40

45

50Test Statistics Value df p-value

Pearson Chi-Square 0.698 2 0.705

Continuity Adjusted Chi-

Square 0.393 2 0.822

16 17

0

5

10

15

20

25

Non-G Gardener

Female Male

Square 0.393 2 0.822

Likelihood Ratio Chi-Square 0.697 2 0.706

oBased on the p-value 0.705my hypothesis was not supported. The probability of females gardening more than males proved to be not significant.

Water Issue

8Gardener

Water In Home

No Yes

Test Statistics Value df

p-

value

Pearson Chi-Square 0.024 1 0.876

Continuity Adjusted Chi-Square 0.000 1 1.000

Likelihood Ratio Chi-

67

10

58

8

Non-G

Gardener Likelihood Ratio Chi-Square 0.024 1 0.876

o Based on the p-value 0.876my hypothesis was not supported. The probability of people with running water in their homes were more likely to have gardens was not significant.

Limitations

�Time constraintso We had 3 weeks to conduct 30 surveys

�Sample sizeo Relatively low sample size that covered 2 areas

�Translation of survey questions for the participant�Translation of survey questions for the participant

�Translation of survey answers for the interviewer

�Under or over reporting

�Representativeness

Conclusions�Hypothesis 1: Based on the p-value of 0.059, my hypothesis was

not supported. The probability of Gardeners’ consuming more F & V was not significant, although it was relatively close.

�Hypothesis 2: Based on the p-value of 0.498 my hypothesis was not supported. The probability of people who garden work out more than non-gardeners is not significant.more than non-gardeners is not significant.

�Hypothesis 3: Based on the p-value 0.705 my hypothesis was not supported. The probability of females gardening more than males proved to be not significant

�Hypothesis 4: Based on the p-value 0.876 my hypothesis was not supported. The probability of people with running water in their homes were more likely to have gardens was not significant.

Recommendations�Provide better understanding of survey questions

�Have a fluent Navajo speaker at every survey

�Translate entire survey into Navajo

�Create monthly gardening workshops geared towards �Create monthly gardening workshops geared towards gardeners and non-gardeners

�Have a Navajo translator at the workshops

�Create a weekly farmer’s market within community to provide a beneficial way to alter food environment

References• Alaimo, Katherine PhD, Elizabeth Packnett MPH 2, Richard A. Miles BS 1 and Daniel J. Kruger PhD 2,

Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Urban Community Gardeners, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Vol. 40 Issue 2,March-April 2008: 94-101

• Armstrong, Donna. A Survey of Community Gardens In Upstate New York: Implications for Health Promotion and Community Development. Health & Place 6 (2000): 319-327

• Dibsdall, LA, N Lambert, RF Bobbin and LJ Frewer. Low-income Consumers' Attitudes and Behavior Towards Access Availability and Motivation to Eat Fruit and Vegetables. Public Health Nutrition, Volume 6, Issue 02, Apr 2002: 159-168

• Jill S. Litt, Mah-J. Soobder, Mark S. Turbin, James W. Hale, Michael Buchenau, and Julie A. Marshall. The Influence of Social Involvement, Neighborhood Aesthetics, and Community Garden Participation The Influence of Social Involvement, Neighborhood Aesthetics, and Community Garden Participation on Fruit and Vegetable Consumption. American Journal of Public Health: August 2011, Vol. 101, No. 8:1466-1473.

• Lombard, KA, Forester-Cox, S., Smeal, D., and Mk O’Neill. Diabetes on the Navajo nation: What Role Can Gardening and Agriculture Extension Play to Reduce It: Rural and Remote Health: August 2006

• Morris, Jennifer L., Briggs, Marilyn, and Cherr-Zidenberg, Sheri. Development and Evaluation of a Garden-Enhanced Nutrition Education Curriculum for Elementary Schoolchildren. The Journal of Child Nutrition & Management. Fall 2002, Issue 2

• Navajo CHSA 2005

• Ober Allen, Julie, Katherine Alaimo, Doris Elam, and Elizabeth Perry. Growing Vegetables and Values: Benefits of Neighborhood-Based Community Gardens for Youth Development and Nutrition. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, Volume 3, Issue 4: 418 – 439

• US Census Bureau www.census.gov

Acknowledgements

• SREP 2012 Program• Dr. Mark Bauer

• Dr. Brenda Hosley

• Dr. Kevin Lombard

Keeya Bighorse

• Tsaile/Wheatfields Community

• Tsaile/Wheatfields Chapter House

• Chapter House Officials

• Elders at the Free Lunch Program• Keeya Bighorse

• Felix Nez

• Tye Browne

• Tristin Moone

• Reatana Nais

• Dexter Leuppe

• Dr. Brendan Clark

• Elders at the Free Lunch Program