Exercise, Urban Food Production, Preparation and Consumption: Implications, Benefits and Risks to Grow-Your-Own (GYO) Gardeners

This study is the first to consider, and estimate, the influence of gardening routines on exposures to both health benefits and health risks. This holistic approach helped to contrast the healthy lifestyle of gardening with health risks from exposures to potentially toxic elements such as Cd and Pb in urban environments. A total of 120 participants who grew their own produce in an urban setting were recruited to the study. A detailed questionnaire was developed that included sections on gardening activity, cultivation and consumption of produce, consumption of commercially grown produce, and other lifestyle factors. Administered alongside the questionnaire was the Short Form 36 (v2) as a standardised tool for measuring physical and mental health. Fruit and vegetable consumption was found to be correlated with the amount of gardening individuals did in autumn/winter and was greater than fruit and vegetable consumption, on average, in the UK general population. Levels of physical activity were also found to be higher in our study than regional averages, whilst BMI was lower than average. This is the first study to find a relationship between gardening more regularly (in autumn/winter) and the physical component of the Short Form 36, and this relationship was elevated compared to non-gardening populations. The physical component scores from this study were also significantly higher for older participants, compared to means from a Western population. This finding supports studies suggesting that gardening may be more beneficial for the elderly generation. These benefits were assessed in the context of potential exposures estimated from the type and frequency of produce being consumed. The benefit of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is likely to outweigh the health risks of gardening on soils mildly contaminated with Cd and Pb but requires formal consideration within a risk management framework.