Yeego! Healthy Eating & Gardening
Yeego! Healthy Eating & Gardening
In this study we will estimate changes in healthy eating and gardening behaviors associated
 with the intervention using a randomized controlled trial design, with the comparison arm
 receiving a delayed intervention in the following school year.
The small randomized controlled trial of an intensive curriculum and school garden
 intervention will be implemented in elementary schools in two communities (Shiprock and
 Tsaile). The study will begin in year 1 with a period of engagement and recruitment of
 schools in each community; with the goal of recruiting three schools in each community to
 start the run-in phase. The run-in period will include time for greater engagement with the
 school community, an assessment of the potential garden site and an assessment of evaluation
 readiness. Depending on whether all three schools in the community qualify for the study at
 the end of run-in, or only two schools per community, we will randomize three or two schools
 to intervention or delayed intervention status in each community. We will have either two
 intervention schools and 4 delayed intervention schools, or 2 intervention schools and 2
 delayed intervention schools, depending on the run-in information. We will conduct baseline
 data collection (T1) at the beginning of the school year in Year 2 with both children and
 parents. Students in the intervention group will receive the curriculum and school garden
 during that academic school year. At the end of the school year, we will conduct the T2
 assessment in children and parents. The main evaluation period is between T1 and f2, and the
 statistical analysis methods refer to the T2 versus T1 change in outcome measures (healthy
 eating and gardening). After that, at the beginning of the next school year (Year 3), the
 delayed intervention schools will receive the intervention. During Year 3, we will also
 conduct quarterly community gardening workshops for adult family members in all schools.
 Attendance at these will be tracked. A final assessment (T3) will be conducted at the end of
 the second school year in all the randomized schools to describe behaviors in children and
 parents over time, using a quasiexperimental design that estimates change in the delayed
 intervention group between T2 and T3, attributable in part to the delayed intervention.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Children ages 8-12

 -  Adults ages 21-75

 -  Elementary schools in Tsaile and Shiprock will have been in existence for at least
 three years, school size (have between 40 to 100 students in grades 3 and 4 combined),
 have more than two-thirds Navajo students and satisfy a garden site checklist that can
 overcome garden barriers (e.9. have access to water)

 -  Assessment is restricted to Male/female students in grades 3 and 4 attending,
 attending school in either Tsaile or Shiprock and one family member (Navajo adult aged
 18 and older) for each child.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Family member- child dyads neither of which are Navajo

 -  Family member/child dyads not expected to stay at the recruited Tsaile or Shiprock
 elementary school for the whole school year.