Investigating community garden crops in mitigating malnutrition througha feeding program among daycare children in Calumpang, Molo / by Sophia Margaret B. Cervales, Julian Benedict C. Siendo, Kristine Nicole V. Bancolo, & Achilles James C. Cameros.

In Iloilo City, communal vegetable gardens were implemented to tackle the problem of malnutrition, specifically targeting children under five, aiming to raise awareness about self-sustainability in producing nutritious foods. This study focuses on investigating the effects of community garden crops from barangay Calumpang, Molo, on mitigating malnutrition among daycare children through a feeding program, utilizing an explanatory research design. The study involved 20 daycare children from barangay Calumpang, selected through purposive sampling. The study was structured into three components: soil analysis, a feeding program, and pretest-posttest questionnaires, with the involvement of community workers. Soil analysis was conducted at the Department of Agriculture Western Visayas to assess pH, organic matter, phosphorus, and potassium levels. Pretest questionnaires assessed health and dietary restrictions, with parental consent obtained for children under 18 years old. Height and weight measurements were taken to calculate BMI. The feeding program was conducted six times in 3 consecutive weeks, aimed to observe changes in BMI. Post assessments evaluated program effectiveness and identified areas for improvement. The findings indicate that the feeding program, which incorporated community garden crops, positively impacted participants' nutritional status, with most achieving a healthy BMI.

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