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Sustainability-oriented effects of a longitudinal multicomponent school-garden intervention on food literacy, dietary diversity, and household educational transfer in rural schools

Basilio DL, Paredes HJC, Melgarejo TFV, Lovaton JRM, Rivera WFR et al. · 1 Jul 2026

Abstract

Abstract School-based food and nutritional security interventions have emerged as promising strategies for improving food literacy and promoting sustainability-oriented educational outcomes among children. However, many previous studies have relied on short-term interventions and conventional pretest–posttest approaches, with limited evaluation of longitudinal adaptation, family-transfer processes, and implementation sustainability. Therefore, the present study evaluated the longitudinal effects of a multicomponent school-garden intervention on food literacy, dietary diversity, learning retention, and sustainability-related educational outcomes among rural primary school students. A 12-month longitudinal intervention was implemented in 12 rural primary schools involving 1,220 students aged 8–12 years. The intervention integrated food literacy education, educational garden activities, cooking and nutrition workshops, family-transfer practices, and teacher-supported implementation. Repeated assessments were conducted at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Food literacy, dietary diversity, engagement, family-transfer practices, and sustainability-related indicators were analyzed using multilevel longitudinal, multivariate, temporal, and predictive analytical approaches. The intervention produced significant improvements in food literacy and dietary diversity across the assessment period. The proportion of students classified within the high food-literacy category increased from 17% at baseline to 66% at 12 months, whereas the low-literacy category decreased from 37% to 6%. Multivariate analyses demonstrated significant restructuring of nutritional-learning profiles over time, while temporal analyses revealed progressive synchronization and stabilization of educational and behavioral responses. Student engagement and family-transfer practices were identified as major predictors of retention probability and literacy improvement. In addition, multilayer diffusion analyses demonstrated progressive propagation of food-literacy practices across school and household environments. Overall, the findings demonstrate that multicomponent school-garden interventions may function as effective sustainability-oriented educational systems capable of improving food literacy, dietary diversity, learning retention, and household educational transfer simultaneously. The integration of experiential learning, family reinforcement, and implementation support appears critical for promoting long-term educational sustainability in rural school environments.