Do green fingers munch on more fruit and veggies? Health effects of home gardening

Abstract

Inadequate consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is a persistent problem in many highly urbanized Global North countries. The research suggests that the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables is influenced by households’ food production in gardens. However, the connection between home gardening, consumption, and health is far from straightforward, and in the extant literature, the research evidence is limited. Therefore, this study presents the results of quantitative research exploring the relationship between the frequency of fresh fruit and vegetable consumption, gardening, and human health. Three objective aspects of health were included in the analysis: the cumulative occurrence of high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels. In addition, a subjective health evaluation and the body mass index (BMI) were considered. A large representative sample of 1699 respondents completed the questionnaire administered in Czechia in 2022. The results of bivariate tests revealed a significant relationship between gardening, consumption, and all health aspects. However, most of these relationships were mediated by other factors. When sociodemographic characteristics were controlled in the regression models, the results indicated that gardeners eat fresh fruits and vegetables more often and have lower BMIs than nongardeners. Better subjective health was linked to a more frequent fresh fruit and vegetable intake. By contrast, no relationship was observed between objective health and gardening or food consumption. The findings of this paper reveal the complex relationships of the three researched phenomena and highlight the importance of considering gardens’ accessibility in scholarly debates and when formulating food and public health policies.