Type 2 DiabetesNCT07112326
Community Gardens and Environmental Health in Mississauga
A study testing Community Gardening Program in people with Type 2 Diabetes, run by University of Toronto at 4 sites in Canada.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate a revised version of Ecosource's 26-week community garden program. This project aims to assess how community gardening can reduce type 2 diabetes risk and improve health outcomes among people aged 18 and older, who have type 2 diabetes, type 2 diabetes risk factors, or… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Type 2 Diabetes
- What is being tested?
- Community Gardening Program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 4 sitesCanada
- Study dates
- 2 Jul 2025to Jan 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Must be 18 years or older.
- Have an interest in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) prevention OR have a diagnosis of T2D or have risk factors for T2D.
- Should not have any chronic disease that could affect participation in the study
- Not currently participating in another trial/research study (other than the current one)
- Must be a resident of Mississauga
Who cannot join
- People under 18 years
- Has a Chronic disease that could affect participation in the study
- Currently participating in another trial/research study (other than the current one)
- Not a resident of Mississauga
Trial locations and contacts
4 sites in 1 country.
Canada4 sites
Malton Community Garden
Mississauga, Ontario, L4T 3T7
Iceland Teaching Garden
Mississauga, Ontario, L4Z 4A6
Ecosource Community Climate Hub
Mississauga, Ontario, L5R2N4
Parkway Green Generation Garden
Mississauga, Ontario (ON), L4Z 1M7
About this study
Official title: Evaluating Community Gardens as Environmental Health Interventions in Mississauga
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate a revised version of Ecosource's 26-week community garden program. This project aims to assess how community gardening can reduce type 2 diabetes risk and improve health outcomes among people aged 18 and older, who have type 2 diabetes, type 2 diabetes risk factors, or interest in type 2 diabetes prevention. The project's objectives are to:
- Co-design and deliver a revised 26-week program integrating type 2 diabetes education into Ecosource's community garden program.
- Evaluate the program's impact on type 2 diabetes risk factors, including diet quality and physical activity, and its alignment with Mississauga's Healthy City Strategy by improving access to healthy foods and green spaces.
- Share findings to inform future community gardening initiatives aimed at reducing type 2 diabetes risk and promoting health.
Read more
Participants will:
- Participate in a co-design focus group
- Complete 3 questionnaires about diet quality and T2D risk factors at baseline, 12 weeks, and 26 weeks.
- Participate in a photovoice project and focus group
- Participate in a post-implementation focus group
Read the detailed description
Ecosource's community garden program is highlighted in Mississauga's Healthy City Strategy as a key initiative to enhance access to affordable, healthy food at the neighbourhood level. With food insecurity increasing in Mississauga-evidenced by a 58% increase in visitors to the city's largest food bank from June 2023 to May 2024 and the subsequent declaration of a food insecurity emergency by City Council-urgent interventions are needed. Additionally, demand for community gardening has reached unprecedented levels, with over 2,000 people on the waitlist, a trend likely exacerbated by rising housing and food costs. Food insecurity is also a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes making the case for initiatives that address food access as a health promotion strategy. A healthful diet and lifestyle are the cornerstones of chronic disease prevention. Community gardening programs have emerged as a strategy to improve diet quality especially when paired with nutrition education. In addition, Ecosource's program has a proven history of engaging residents, including in priority neighbourhoods where type 2 diabetes prevalence exceeds the provincial average. The majority of Ecosource's garden sites are in public parks within these communities, including Malton and areas along the western Hurontario corridor. Gardens in these areas have some of the longest waitlists across our network, indicating a high interest in gardening in these neighbourhoods. Since 2006, Ecosource has built partnerships to reduce barriers to gardening access, engaging over 17 community partners annually. Survey data from program participants also indicates the program's readiness for further development and evaluation, with findings suggesting gardening offers co-benefits for food access, physical activity, community belonging, and mental health.
Therefore, this project aims to strengthen and evaluate the program's impact on promoting health in priority neighbourhoods, with a focus on type 2 diabetes prevention, while addressing the food insecurity crisis in Mississauga. The Evaluating Community Gardens as Environmental Health Interventions in Mississauga project aims to assess how community gardening can reduce type 2 diabetes risk and improve health outcomes in Mississauga's priority communities. Building on Ecosource's successful community garden program, this project explores community gardening as a strategy for improving diet quality and food access, both linked to type 2 diabetes prevention. The project is timely, given concerns over rising food insecurity following Mississauga's emergency declaration and the inclusion of community gardens in municipal health, food security, and climate resiliency plans.
Goals and Research Aims:
The research team will design, deliver and evaluate a revised version of Ecosource's community garden program, aiming to strengthen its effectiveness in preventing type 2 diabetes and promoting health. The program will engage 20-30 residents from priority areas, such as Malton and western Hurontario, in weekly sessions at Ecosource's gardens and teaching kitchen. The 26-week program will consist of weekly two-hour sessions.
The project's objectives are to:
- Co-design and deliver a revised 26-week program integrating type 2 diabetes education into Ecosource's community garden program.
- Evaluate the program's impact on type 2 diabetes risk factors, including diet quality and physical activity, and its alignment with Mississauga's Healthy City Strategy by improving access to healthy foods and green spaces.
- Share findings to inform future community gardening initiatives aimed at reducing type 2 diabetes risk and promoting health.
- Conditions
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Being tested
- Community Gardening Program
- Keywords
- community gardening, type 2 diabetes
- Medical subject headings
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Community Gardening ProgramBehavioural
Participants will take part in a 26-week community gardening program with Ecosource, which involves cooking classes, as well as nutrition and type 2 diabetes education. These weekly sessions will be led by Ecosource and take place in community gardens across different sites in Mississauga and at Ecosource's teaching kitchens. Diabetes education sessions will take place once per month (6 times/program) and will be led by subject matter experts including dietitians/diabetes educators. The delivery format for these sessions may be virtual or in-person depending on the topic covered and participant availability. Participants will be invited to a WhatsApp Community Chat to stay motivated and engaged with the study over the 26-week period.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | Participation in Ecosource's 26-week community gardening and cooking classes with nutrition and type 2 diabetes education Receives: Behavioral: Community Gardening Program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Changes in diet quality
Changes in diet quality will be assessed according to the Canadian Food Intake Screener. The questions in this screener ask participants about foods and beverages they ate or drank in the past 30 days. The Canadian Food Intake Screener is a tool used to assess the alignment of a person's eating habits with the recommendations of Canada's Food Guide. The total score, which can range from 0 to 65, reflects the degree of alignment with healthy eating recommendations.
Measured: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks
Secondary outcomes (5)
Changes in physical activity
Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire that includes questions from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. These questions will collect information about the physical health and activity of the participant, which will help the researchers determine the impact of exercise and physical activity on type 2 diabetes risk factors.
Measured: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks
Food literacy
The researchers will measure food literacy using the the Canadian Behaviour Attitude and Nutrition Knowledge Survey (C-BANKS). This tool is used to assess Canadians' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to nutrition.
Measured: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks
Food Security
The researchers will use the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) to measure food security. This is a standardized set of 18 questions used to measure food insecurity in Canadian households. It's the primary tool used in Canada to assess how limited financial resources impact a household's ability to acquire adequate food. The HFSSM categorizes food insecurity into three levels: marginal, moderate, and severe.
Measured: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks
Type 2 diabetes risk
The researchers will measure type 2 diabetes risk using the Canadian Diabetes Risk Questionniare (CANRISK). This questionnaire assesses an individual's risk of having prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. The questionnaire gathers information on risk factors like age, family history, ethnicity, and lifestyle, and calculates a score indicating the likelihood of having prediabetes or diabetes.
Measured: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks
Alignment with Mississauga's Healthy City Strategy
The research team will collect additional metrics such as pounds (lbs) of food grown and visits to gardens in priority areas, to assess alignment with Mississauga's Healthy City Strategy.
Measured: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Aug 2025
- Study start2 Jul 2025
- Primary completionJan 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionJan 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Type 2 DiabetesStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of TorontoThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- One-group pretest-posttest design involving: 1. Participation in Ecosource's 26-week community garden program. 2. Evaluating the program's impact on type 2 diabetes risk factors, including diet quality and physical activity, and its alignment with Mississauga's Healthy City Strategy by improving access to healthy foods and green spaces, through surveys at at baseline, 12 weeks, and 26 weeks, assessing diet quality
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Toronto
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Vasanti Malik, University of Toronto
- Investigators
- Vasanti Malik, MSc, ScD, Principal investigator, University of Toronto
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07112326
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 48687
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 1 Aug 2025
- Last updated
- 8 Aug 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Aug 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluating Community Gardens as Environmental Health Interventions in Mississauga
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07112326
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 48687
- Conditions
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Keywords
- community gardening, type 2 diabetes
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of TorontoUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 2 Jul 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Jan 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jan 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 8 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate a revised version of Ecosource's 26-week community garden program. This project aims to assess how community gardening can reduce type 2 diabetes risk and improve health outcomes among people aged 18 and older, who have type 2 diabetes, type 2 diabetes risk factors, or interest in type 2 diabetes prevention. The project's objectives are to:
- Co-design and deliver a revised 26-week program integrating type 2 diabetes education into Ecosource's community garden program.
- Evaluate the program's impact on type 2 diabetes risk factors, including diet quality and physical activity, and its alignment with Mississauga's Healthy City Strategy by improving access to healthy foods and green spaces.
- Share findings to inform future community gardening initiatives aimed at reducing type 2 diabetes risk and promoting health.
Participants will:
- Participate in a co-design focus group
- Complete 3 questionnaires about diet quality and T2D risk factors at baseline, 12 weeks, and 26 weeks.
- Participate in a photovoice project and focus group
- Participate in a post-implementation focus group
Detailed description
Ecosource's community garden program is highlighted in Mississauga's Healthy City Strategy as a key initiative to enhance access to affordable, healthy food at the neighbourhood level. With food insecurity increasing in Mississauga-evidenced by a 58% increase in visitors to the city's largest food bank from June 2023 to May 2024 and the subsequent declaration of a food insecurity emergency by City Council-urgent interventions are needed. Additionally, demand for community gardening has reached unprecedented levels, with over 2,000 people on the waitlist, a trend likely exacerbated by rising housing and food costs. Food insecurity is also a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes making the case for initiatives that address food access as a health promotion strategy. A healthful diet and lifestyle are the cornerstones of chronic disease prevention. Community gardening programs have emerged as a strategy to improve diet quality especially when paired with nutrition education. In addition, Ecosource's program has a proven history of engaging residents, including in priority neighbourhoods where type 2 diabetes prevalence exceeds the provincial average. The majority of Ecosource's garden sites are in public parks within these communities, including Malton and areas along the western Hurontario corridor. Gardens in these areas have some of the longest waitlists across our network, indicating a high interest in gardening in these neighbourhoods. Since 2006, Ecosource has built partnerships to reduce barriers to gardening access, engaging over 17 community partners annually. Survey data from program participants also indicates the program's readiness for further development and evaluation, with findings suggesting gardening offers co-benefits for food access, physical activity, community belonging, and mental health.
Therefore, this project aims to strengthen and evaluate the program's impact on promoting health in priority neighbourhoods, with a focus on type 2 diabetes prevention, while addressing the food insecurity crisis in Mississauga. The Evaluating Community Gardens as Environmental Health Interventions in Mississauga project aims to assess how community gardening can reduce type 2 diabetes risk and improve health outcomes in Mississauga's priority communities. Building on Ecosource's successful community garden program, this project explores community gardening as a strategy for improving diet quality and food access, both linked to type 2 diabetes prevention. The project is timely, given concerns over rising food insecurity following Mississauga's emergency declaration and the inclusion of community gardens in municipal health, food security, and climate resiliency plans.
Goals and Research Aims:
The research team will design, deliver and evaluate a revised version of Ecosource's community garden program, aiming to strengthen its effectiveness in preventing type 2 diabetes and promoting health. The program will engage 20-30 residents from priority areas, such as Malton and western Hurontario, in weekly sessions at Ecosource's gardens and teaching kitchen. The 26-week program will consist of weekly two-hour sessions.
The project's objectives are to:
- Co-design and deliver a revised 26-week program integrating type 2 diabetes education into Ecosource's community garden program.
- Evaluate the program's impact on type 2 diabetes risk factors, including diet quality and physical activity, and its alignment with Mississauga's Healthy City Strategy by improving access to healthy foods and green spaces.
- Share findings to inform future community gardening initiatives aimed at reducing type 2 diabetes risk and promoting health.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- One-group pretest-posttest design involving: 1. Participation in Ecosource's 26-week community garden program. 2. Evaluating the program's impact on type 2 diabetes risk factors, including diet quality and physical activity, and its alignment with Mississauga's Healthy City Strategy by improving access to healthy foods and green spaces, through surveys at at baseline, 12 weeks, and 26 weeks, assessing diet quality
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Community Gardening ProgramParticipation in Ecosource's 26-week community gardening and cooking classes with nutrition and type 2 diabetes education |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Must be 18 years or older.
- Have an interest in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) prevention OR have a diagnosis of T2D or have risk factors for T2D.
- Should not have any chronic disease that could affect participation in the study
- Not currently participating in another trial/research study (other than the current one)
- Must be a resident of Mississauga
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- People under 18 years
- Has a Chronic disease that could affect participation in the study
- Currently participating in another trial/research study (other than the current one)
- Not a resident of Mississauga
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Community Gardening ProgramParticipants will take part in a 26-week community gardening program with Ecosource, which involves cooking classes, as well as nutrition and type 2 diabetes education. These weekly sessions will be led by Ecosource and take place in community gardens across different sites in Mississauga and at Ecosource's teaching kitchens. Diabetes education sessions will take place once per month (6 times/program) and will be led by subject matter experts including dietitians/diabetes educators. The delivery format for these sessions may be virtual or in-person depending on the topic covered and participant availability. Participants will be invited to a WhatsApp Community Chat to stay motivated and engaged with the study over the 26-week period. | Behavioural | Intervention |
Primary outcome
Changes in diet quality
Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks
Changes in diet quality will be assessed according to the Canadian Food Intake Screener. The questions in this screener ask participants about foods and beverages they ate or drank in the past 30 days. The Canadian Food Intake Screener is a tool used to assess the alignment of a person's eating habits with the recommendations of Canada's Food Guide. The total score, which can range from 0 to 65, reflects the degree of alignment with healthy eating recommendations.
5 secondary outcomes
Changes in physical activity
Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks
Food literacy
Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks
Food Security
Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks
Type 2 diabetes risk
Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks
Alignment with Mississauga's Healthy City Strategy
Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Aug 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Vasanti Malik, MSc, ScD principal investigator
University of Toronto
4 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Community Gardening Program in people with Type 2 Diabetes, run by University of Toronto at 4 sites in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Aug 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 4 sites in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Changes in diet quality (time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks and 26 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Aug 2025.