Associations of time spent gardening with mental wellbeing and life satisfaction in mid-to-late adulthood

Fjaestad, Selma Lunde; Mackelprang, Jessica L.; Sugiyama, Takemi; Chandrabose, Manoj; Owen, Neville; Turrell, Gavin; Kingsley, Jonathan

doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.101993

Cited by 17 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…The frequency of intentionally interacting with nature has been found to be positively associated with mental wellbeing [ 22 ], emotional health [ 117 ], mental health [ 117 , 121 ], and inversely associated with depression [ 96 , 122 ], mental distress [ 22 , 123 , 124 ], stress [ 96 , 123 ], negative affect [ 96 ], and the use of medication to treat depression [ 22 ]. The duration of intentional interactions with nature has also been positively associated with positive affect [ 96 ], mental wellbeing [ 125 , 126 , 127 ], subjective wellbeing [ 128 ], mental health [ 111 , 129 ], vitality [ 130 ], life satisfaction [ 126 , 128 ], quality of life [ 131 ], and inversely associated with depression [ 122 , 125 , 132 ], with Haider et al identifying these relationships when individuals spend ≥ 60 min outdoors [ 125 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions with Nature, Good for the Mind and Body: A Narrative Review

Stott,

Forde,

Sharma

et al. 2024

IJERPH

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Interacting with nature may promote mental and physical health. There are multiple ways to interact with nature: indirectly, incidentally, and intentionally. How these types of interactions with nature may be associated with mental and physical health status and health behaviors is unclear. The purpose of this narrative review is to (1) describe the relationship between interactions with nature (indirect, incidental, and intentional) and mental and physical health outcomes and behaviors, (2) identify gaps in the literature, and (3) provide recommendations for future research. Considerable evidence suggests that interacting with nature, indirectly and intentionally, is associated with improvements in mental health and physical exhibitions of mental status. Furthermore, intentionally interacting with nature is associated with engagement in physical activity and gardening is associated with fruit and vegetable consumption. Research suggests that incidentally interacting with nature may be associated with positive mental health status. More research is needed to understand the relationships between incidental interactions with nature and physical health status and behaviors; as well as among all types of interactions with nature and physical health disorders, sleep, and dietary behaviors.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions with Nature, Good for the Mind and Body: A Narrative Review

Stott,

Forde,

Sharma

et al. 2024

IJERPH

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“…At these events, it is crucial to emphasize the harmful effects of pesticide use on individuals, the environment, and on the future of the next generations as well as to highlight non-chemical alternatives to the ones who are inclined to adopt biodiversity-friendly measures. As an added benefit, community gardens and similar shared gardening practices can also substantially improve human well-being both for isolated urban dwellers (Leavell et al, 2019) and the elderly (Fjaestad et al, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging biodiversity and gardening: Unravelling the interplay of socio-demographic factors, garden practices, and garden characteristics

Varga-Szilay,

Fetykó,

Szövényi

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The expansion of urban areas poses a threat to biodiversity, disrupting essential ecological relationships and jeopardizing fragile ecological networks, thereby impeding key ecosystem services. To avert irreversible consequences, there is a global imperative for well-planned and sustainable urban environments, with a focus on improving the biodiversity value of domestic gardens for both human well-being and conservation. To untangle the complex interplay among socio-demographic factors, garden management, and garden characteristics we employed machine learning and network analysis methods and examined garden care practices and garden owners’ environmental consciousness in Hungary. We found that biodiversity-positive activities were widespread among garden owners, but a lack of undisturbed areas and frequent mowing were also present along with the ubiquitous use of pesticides. Middle-aged respondents demonstrated more biodiversity-supporting activities compared to those over 55, who had long-term gardening experience and were predominantly engaged in conventional gardening practices. Residents of towns showed the least biodiversity-positive activities, whereas those living in cities and the countryside fared better. Additionally, multiple interconnected garden characteristics revealed various types of gardens distinguished by care practices and use, such as gardens with a predominance of plants suitable for consumption, those with primarily ornamental function, or prioritizing biodiversity support. Our findings suggest that strategies, developed in Western-European countries to promote biodiversity-friendly gardening practices may not be suitable for countries with different cultural backgrounds, such as Hungary, where conventional gardening practices, notably extensive pesticide use, are widespread, and environmental consciousness is lower. In particular, factors such as the lack of social trust and an ageing society underscore the preference for in-person programs over online information transfer among specific societal groups. This study offers fresh perspectives on the intricate connections between garden diversity, characteristics, and practices, and it lays the groundwork for future research into the sociological drivers of gardening practices in Eastern Europe. Our work also emphasises that optimizing domestic gardens for multiple ecosystem services, including biodiversity conservation and enhancing well-being across diverse societal groups, requires a nuanced understanding of both ecological and socio-demographic factors.

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“…Green spaces are crucial for social connection, which enhances quality of life by encouraging physical exercise and social activities, thereby improving mental health [18]. Urban green space not only provides a place for older adults to participate in daily social activities but also helps older adults walk, exercise [40], and actively participate in gardening activities [41], improving their mental health. Moreover, many studies have focused on the positive effects of factors such as the visitation frequency [42], quality [43], type [44], and accessibility [6] of green spaces on mental health.…”

Section: Urban Environmental Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Moderating Effect of Social Participation on the Relationship between Urban Green Space and the Mental Health of Older Adults: A Case Study in China

Zheng,

Cheng,

Dong

et al. 2024

Land

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China is experiencing unprecedented urbanization and aging. Previous studies mostly ignored the internal mechanism of the effect of urban green space on the mental health of older adults. Consequently, the relationship between social participation in urban green spaces and mental health remains uncertain. Therefore, this study explored the impact of urban green spaces, social participation, and other factors on the mental health of older adults and investigated the mechanisms of these effects. This study used linear regression models and conducted a moderating effect analysis using data from the 2018 China Labor Dynamics Survey, comprising 3501 older adults in 146 cities in China. Furthermore, we analyzed differences between solitary and non-solitary older adults. The results indicated that urban green space, road density, physical health, history of hospitalization, subjective well-being, and economic satisfaction significantly affected mental health. Social participation played a significant positive moderating role in the connection between green spaces and mental health among older adults. For solitary older adults, social participation weakened the positive impact of green spaces on mental health; for non-solitary older adults, social participation enhanced the positive impact of green spaces on mental health. These findings could contribute to the future construction of aging-friendly cities in China and help optimize urban construction and strategies for building healthy environments.

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Associations of time spent gardening with mental wellbeing and life satisfaction in mid-to-late adulthood

Cited by 17 publications

References 76 publications

Interactions with Nature, Good for the Mind and Body: A Narrative Review

Interactions with Nature, Good for the Mind and Body: A Narrative Review

Bridging biodiversity and gardening: Unravelling the interplay of socio-demographic factors, garden practices, and garden characteristics

The Moderating Effect of Social Participation on the Relationship between Urban Green Space and the Mental Health of Older Adults: A Case Study in China

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