UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 18
research update
Harvest for Health Expands
Across Alabama
B y A DA M P O P E
In 2011, UAB researchers introduced cancer survivors to a new kind of therapy — gardening. Harvest for Health,
an ongoing study at UAB, provides cancer survivors with gardening supplies and equipment free-of-charge and
pairs them with a master gardener from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES).
Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D.,
R.D., professor and Webb Endowed
Chair of Nutrition Sciences in the
Department of Nutrition Sciences and
a
associate director for cancer prevention
and control at the UAB Comprehensive
Cancer Center, has received a R01
grant to expand this study to 426 cancer survivors throughout
the entire state of Alabama to collect further data.
There are more than 15 million cancer survivors in the
United States, and the majority are 65 years of age or older.
JACKSON
Despite improvements in treatment and five-year cure rates,
cancer survivors are at greater risk for second malignancies,
cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and functional impairment
DEKALB
— downstream effects that result in an annual cost of
SHALL
approximately $130 billion each year.
“Cancer survivorship has been proclaimed a national
CHEROKEE
priority,
with a call to develop effective interventions that can
ETOWAH
prevent, delay or reduce the adverse effects and co-morbidities
that accompany cancer and its treatment,” Dr. Demark-
CALHOUN
Wahnefried says, adding that this new study builds on strong
CLAIR
preliminary
data and relies on the infrastructure of the ACES
CLEBURNE
Master Gardener program.
TALLADEGA
“Studies have shown a link between diet and cancer,
CLAY
RANDOLPH
and between physical activity and cancer,” she says. “We
want to see how cancer survivors respond to this gardening
intervention, as well as how it affects their diet and exercise
COOSA
CHAMBERS
behaviors, and their health and quality of life.”
TALLAPOOSA
UAB provides tools and seedlings, and will either prepare
a raised bed in the yard of a survivor’s home or provide
ELMORE
LEE
EarthBoxes® — large gardening containers on wheels — that
can be kept on a porch or patio. Master gardeners visit with
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the survivors
twice a month for one year, offering advice,
ONTGOMERY
RUSSELL
expertise and suggestions, while answering the questions new
BULLOCK
gardeners have.
ENSHAW
16
PIKE
U A BARBOUR
B C O M P R E H E N S I V E
C A N C E R
C E N T E R
The original study began in Jefferson County, Alabama,
in 2011. Recruiting has now expanded to 27 total counties for
cancer survivors age 65 and older, and the first participants
began in January 2017. Eligible participants are cancer
survivors from those counties who have completed their
primary therapy, such as surgery, radiation or chemotherapy,
and who do not raise vegetables already. Participants will be
followed for two years.
The master gardeners are all volunteers who have completed
a rigorous certification process from ACES, which boasts more
than 2,000 master gardeners in Alabama.
“They are very excited to be making a difference in the
lives of cancer survivors and their families,” Dr. Demark-
Wahnefried says. “We have plenty of master gardeners
standing by. We just need more cancer survivors to participate
in the trial.”
Participants in the study do not have to go to UAB, but
will have three visits from the research team at their home
during the course of the project, along with the twice-monthly
interactions with the master gardeners.
The research team believes Harvest for Health will be
both fun and educational, while also motivating survivors to
eat better. Preliminary results show improvement in physical
function in many participants. Moreover, 96 percent of past
study participants state that “they would do the study again if
given the chance.”
“Our cancer survivors show improved strength, especially in
their hands, improved mobility, and an increased ability to get
up and down,” says
Dr. Demark-Wahnefried. “That’s an added benefit on top of
better nutrition.”
For more information, or to enroll,
call 844-GROW-GR8 or e-mail
[email protected].