Reducing Chronic Disease Health Disparities in the Deep South

Overview

The study is a gardening intervention among 150 older cancer survivors and individuals living with chronic disease (cardiovascular disease and diabetes) in the states of Alabama and Mississippi. This program focuses on 15 counties where a Community Health Advisor training program is in place (Bullock, Calhoun, Dallas Madison, Marengo, Monroe, Sumter, Talladega, Walker Counties in Alabama and Boliver, Granada, Humphrey, Panola, Sunflower, and Yazoo Counties in Mississippi). Participants are paired with Cooperative Extension certified Master Gardeners to plant a vegetable garden at their place of residence (the intervention). Baseline, midpoint, and 1 year follow up will occur. Previous pilot work provides an established relationship with the Cooperative Extension as well as training mechanisms for the Master Gardeners.

Based on the investigator's previously successful gardening interventions that paired cancer survivors with Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners (MG) since 2011, now proposed; a sample of 150 older individuals living with chronic diseases in 15 counties in Alabama and Mississippi. The purpose of this larger study is to determine the efficacy of a gardening intervention that would pair older cancer survivors and individuals living with chronic disease (heart disease and diabetes) (≥ 65 years of age) with master gardeners. Vegetable gardens will be established at participants' homes, and a yearlong intervention involving bimonthly contact between participants and MGs to plan and plant gardens, check plant status, harvest, and rotate plantings will be conducted. It is hypothesized that this intervention will significantly improve fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, quality of life and physical functioning. Outcomes: Outcomes will be measured by the number of participants recruited, improvements in physical functioning, physical performance (senior fitness battery and grip strength), physical activity, health-related quality of life, reassurance of worth, and self-efficacy of gardening. Additional outcomes are blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference, lipid, glucose, and HbA1c. Background: There are roughly 15 million cancer survivors in the US, comprising 4% of the populace. The number of cancer survivors is skyrocketing due to a confluence of the following factors: 1) Americans are aging; 2) cancer is an age-related disease (\>60% of cancer survivors are age 65+), and 3) improvements in early detection and treatment have resulted in many common cancers having 5-year cure rates that surpass 90%. Rising numbers of cancer survivors represent good news, but over $130 billion annually is needed to address their long-term health and psychosocial needs. Compared to others, cancer survivors are at higher risk for other cancers, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes. The accelerated functional decline also is a major problem for cancer survivors, especially those who are older. Baker et al. found that compared to age-matched controls, cancer cases (n=45,494) had significantly lower physical and social functioning, vitality, mental health, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (p\<0.001). The results of others are similar and suggest that cancer survivors face functional decline that threatens their ability to live independently, posing a burden to themselves, their families and the health care system. Thus, cancer survivorship is claimed as a national priority, and there is a call for interventions that target markedly vulnerable subsets. Prior interventions to improve physical activity (PA) and diet quality (DQ) has proven effective in improving functional status and other health outcomes in cancer survivors. The 2 largest randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to date aimed at physical function, RENEW (Reach-out to ENhancE Wellness, n=641) and Project LEAD (Leading the way in Exercise and Diet, n=182), were led by Demark-Wahnefried (PI) and tested home-based interventions. Both RCTs resulted in significant improvements in DQ, PA and physical function, with few adverse events and low rates of attrition, but there was little capacity for dissemination once funding ended. Thus, the investigators have sought to develop interventions that build on existing programs and that have a high likelihood of translation into the community. The proposed intervention relies on (a) the extant infrastructure of the Alabama Cooperative Extension, (b) our collaborative pilot studies with Master Gardeners (MGs), (c) our data that show that gardening consists of low-to-moderate PA that combines aerobic and strength training activities associated with improved health, and (d) new observational data published in 2012 that show that gardeners have significantly better gait speed, balance, and significantly fewer chronic conditions, functional limitations and falls. MG Programs exist in land grant universities in all 50 United States. Certified MGs complete \> 100 hrs. of instruction and community service (CS) and 25 hrs./year of CS to maintain active status. In surveying 184 MGs in AL, it was found that 71% were "extremely interested" in mentoring a cancer survivor on vegetable gardening for their CS, and an extra 26% stated that "they were interested and wanted to learn more." Thus, the project is of great interest and builds on an extant infrastructure for sustainability. Ultimately, this intervention could be disseminated to states with 3 growing seasons and adapted to colder weather in those with 2 growing seasons. The intervention also could be adapted for persons with other types of chronic diseases in which physical functioning and lifestyle behaviors are key. Finally, this project is significant because the intervention has great potential for sustainability since gardening: (a) involves many activities which prevent satiation common with other forms of exercise; (b) provides a sense of achievement and zest for life that come from nurturing and observing new life and growth, and (c) imparts natural prompts since plants require regular care (watering) and attention (harvesting) and serve as continual and dynamic behavioral cues.