IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ags/joafsc/362832.html

A feasibility study of the community health worker model for garden-based food systems programming

Author

Listed:
  • DeNunzio, Maria
  • Serrano, Elena
  • Kraak, Vivica
  • Chase, Melissa
  • Misyak, Sarah

Abstract

Underserved communities, including those of Black, Indigenous, and people of color, experience unequal access to food systems resources and pro­gramming. Community health workers are lay pub­lic health workers from underserved communities who provide basic health services and culturally sensitive education while bridging social services and community needs. The objective of this study was to determine if a community health worker model was feasible to deliver garden-based food systems programming with underserved Black, Indigenous, and communities of color for Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE). Twenty-nine indi­viduals from different programming areas and positions within VCE participated in semi-struc­tured interviews using video-conferencing (Zoom) in 2021. Interviews were coded and ana­lyzed with thematic analysis. The study found that the com­munity health worker model is feasible for garden-based food systems programming for VCE. Themes identified include the fit of the community health worker model for VCE, cultural humility, and logistics. The community health worker model has potential to expand culturally relevant food sys­tems programming and increase inclusion in VCE. Garden-based food systems programming with a community health worker model may create opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. The community health worker model is fit to advance the community well-being values of VCE through inclusive food systems programming. Food systems community organizations can use this study as a template to evaluate potential new community health worker positions for expansion of inclusive food systems programming.

Suggested Citation

  • DeNunzio, Maria & Serrano, Elena & Kraak, Vivica & Chase, Melissa & Misyak, Sarah, 2023. "A feasibility study of the community health worker model for garden-based food systems programming," Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, Center for Transformative Action, Cornell University, vol. 13(1).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:joafsc:362832
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/362832/files/1167.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anna Gregis & Chiara Ghisalberti & Savino Sciascia & Francesco Sottile & Cristiana Peano, 2021. "Community Garden Initiatives Addressing Health and Well-Being Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Infodemiology Aspects, Outcomes, and Target Populations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-12, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Siyu Chen & Ying Chang & Jack S. Benton & Bing Chen & Hongchen Hu & Jing Lu, 2024. "Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health-Related Behaviours in Community Gardens in China: An Evaluation of a Natural Experiment," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-19, July.
    2. Liling Huang, 2023. "Developing Place-Based Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Taipei City’s Jiuzhuang Community Garden," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-20, August.
    3. Juliette Colinas & Francesca Ugolini & Mohammad Reza Khalilnezhad, 2024. "Public Food Trees’ Usage and Perception, and Their Potential for Participatory Edible Cities: A Case Study in Birjand, Iran," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-23, September.
    4. Sinan Kordon & Patrick A. Miller & Cermetrius L. Bohannon, 2022. "Attitudes and Perceptions of Community Gardens: Making a Place for Them in Our Neighborhoods," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-25, October.
    5. Felicity Daly & Sally Ann Lenehan & Jacqui O’Riordan, 2025. "Green Landscapes of Care: The Potential of Gardens to Support the Well-Being of Asylum Seekers in Ireland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(9), pages 1-14, September.
    6. Hua Zheng & Min Guo & Qian Wang & Qinghai Zhang & Noriko Akita, 2023. "A Bibliometric Analysis of Current Knowledge Structure and Research Progress Related to Urban Community Garden Systems," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-34, January.
    7. Gripper, Ashley B. & Nethery, Rachel & Cowger, Tori L. & White, Monica & Kawachi, Ichiro & Adamkiewicz, Gary, 2022. "Community solutions to food apartheid: A spatial analysis of community food-growing spaces and neighborhood demographics in Philadelphia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 310(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:joafsc:362832. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.