Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Nutrition Research Network: A Home Garden Intervention Improves Child Length-for-Age Z-Score and Household-Level Crop Count and Nutritional Functional Diversity in Rural Guatemala

Home gardens may help address childhood malnutrition in low-and middle-income countries. In this quasi-experimental pilot study, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, in collaboration with Maya Health Alliance, evaluated the feasibility of augmenting a standard of-care nutrition-specific package for Maya children with length-for-age z score <-2 (stunting) in rural Guatemala with a nutrition sensitive home garden intervention. Two agrarian municipalities in Guatemala were included. Families of 70 children with stunting from 1 municipality received the standard-of-care package (food supplementation, multiple micronutrient powders, monthly nutrition home visits, group nutrition classes). Families of 70 children with stunting from another municipality received the standard-of-care package plus a home garden intervention (garden materials, monthly agricultural home visits, agriculture classes). Maternal and child dietary diversity, household food insecurity, child growth, and agricultural indicators were collected at baseline and 6 months later and were analyzed using mixed linear and logistic regression models. Compared with the standard-of-care group, the garden intervention group had improved child (odds ratio [OR] 3.66, 95% CI 0.89-15.10, P = 0.07) and maternal dietary diversity (OR 2.31, 95% CI 0.806.65, P = 0.12) and decreased food insecurity (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.11-1.35, P = 0.14); however, these effects were not statistically significant. Participation in gardens predicted a higher length-for-age z-score (change difference [CD] 0.22 SD, 95% CI 0.05-0.38, P = 0.009), greater crop species count (CD 2.97 crops, 95% CI 1.79-4.16, P < 0.001), and greater nutritional functional diversity (CD 0.04 points, 95% CI 0.01-0.07, P = 0.006) than standard-of-care alone. Home garden interventions are feasible in rural Guatemala and may have potential benefits for child growth when added to other nutrition-specific interventions.

Automated summary

Home garden interventions may benefit children with malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries. A pilot study in rural Guatemala found that adding a home garden intervention to the standard of-care package improved child and maternal dietary diversity, decreased food insecurity, and predicted better child growth. These findings suggest the feasibility and potential benefits of integrating home gardens with other nutrition-specific interventions.