Adaptation and study protocol for harvest for health together Arizona: A mentored community garden intervention for survivors of cancer.

BACKGROUND: Current health behavior recommendations for skin cancer prevention, treatment, and survivorship are the same for survivors of other cancers; they include eating a healthy diet, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and minimizing ultraviolet (U.V.) exposure. Few interventions exist to support health behaviors beyond U.V. exposure. We adapted Harvest for Health, a home-based mentored gardening intervention for cancer survivors, for implementation in Arizona as a community-based intervention.

METHODS: Stakeholder-informed adaptations for Harvest for Health Together Arizona (H4H2-AZ) included updating intervention materials to be relevant to the arid desert environment, emphasizing the importance of sun safety in cancer survivorship, and shifting from a home-based to a community-based delivery model. Participants will be enrolled in cohorts aligned with growing seasons (e.g., spring, monsoon, fall) and matched to an individual 30 ft2 community garden plot for two growing seasons (6 months). Original intervention components retained are: 1) Master Gardeners deliver the intervention providing one-to-one mentorship and 2) gardening materials and supplies provided. This pilot six-month single-arm intervention will determine feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of an evidence-based adapted mentored community gardening intervention for survivors of skin cancer as primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes are to explore the effects on cancer preventive health behaviors and health-related quality of life.

DISCUSSION: This pilot single-arm intervention will determine feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of an evidence-based adapted mentored community gardening intervention for survivors of skin cancer. If successful, the intervention could be widely implemented throughout existing Master Gardener programs and community garden networks for survivors of other cancers.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05648604. Trial registered on December 13, 2022.