Effects of Plant Cultivating Activity for Reducing Parental Stress

Abstract

This study was conducted to find out the influence of plant cultivating activities program to reduce the stress of parents. Saliva cortisol salivettes system method was taken effect for this study with total 27 of parents who are 39.15±3.5 years old on average and have children attending primary school. The cortisol level was measured once a week, total 10 times, before/after 90 minutes plant cultivating activities program. As the result of this program, the total cortisol decreased after the plant cultivating activities program and there was a statistically significant difference with the total cortisol (t=14.521, p <.01). In addition to this, the final session has the most effect on decreasing the stress compare to other previous sessions. As the result of asking 8 questions on a 7 point Likert scale about preference for plants and plant-related experiences before/after the plant cultivating activities program, the score difference of "The experiences of growing plants still have an influence on my life" was highest between before and after the program at a statistically significant difference. These results imply that the plant cultivation program can boost stress-reducing effects, allow parents being familiar with plants, and provide positive influence on relieving parenting stress. In addition to this, the standardization of physiological changes can be established more easily with the saliva cortisol method as it is less stressful to the subject and a more convenient test, that can be taken anytime and anywhere, compared to the blood cortisol method.

Community Gardening Activities and Their Effects on Mental Health of Residents

“…2), total cortisol level, which is a stress hormone), decreased from 0.104 μg/dl to 0.81 μg/dl after the program, showing a mean difference of 0.23 μg/dl (z=2.048, p<.05) with statistical significance. This is consistent with the result that depression and cortisol of rehabilitants decreased after a horticultural therapy program and that stress of parents of elementary school students decreased after participating in a plant cultivation program (Jang et al, 2018a), thereby supporting the research that plant cultivation activities can reduce stress.…”

“…It is convenient to spit out and collect saliva in a certain container like a tube or bottle, but it is also likely to be easily contaminated. (Schwartz et al, 1998;Jang et al, 2018a). Salivary cortisol of the collected specimen was analyzed with the VERSA Max Microplate Reader (Molecular device, USA) using the ER HS SALIVARY CORTISOL kit (Salimetrics Inc, USA) reagent, and the unit of analysis is μg/dl.…”

“…The level of plant cultivation activities is comprised of total 12 items rated on a 7-point Likert scale (Jang et al, 2018a;Jeong et al, 2019;RDA, 2017), and the scale consists of three sub-categories: four items in plant cultivation experience, four items in plant preference tendency, and four items in plant-related event, with higher scores indicating higher level of plant cultivation experience or perception.…”

“…Moreover, participants in plant cultivation programs show an increase in brain activity, decrease stress hormones such as cortisol (Jang et al, 2018a(Jang et al, , 2018b, and higher enjoyment, stability, confidence, and interest and understanding about plants, thereby showing positive effects of plant cultivation activities (Kim, 2001;Shin et al, 2007).…”

Changes in the Saliva Cortisol Concentration and Blood Pressure of Patients with High Blood Pressure and Diabetes After Participating in Agro-healing Activities

“…The blood pressure and saliva cortisol of those who voluntarily signed the consent form for participation were measured. They were instructed not to drink alcohol for two days before participating in this experiment, and any beverages that might stimulate blood pressure and saliva such as black tea, coffee and green tea for two hours before measuring their physiological signals (Jang et al, 2018, Lee et al, 2009Park, 2010). peanut-shaped vegetable gardens that did not put much stress on their body were created, and the agro-healing program provided in this study was composed of activities of raising vegetables and flowers from sowing and planting seedlings of 10 horticultural plants to harvesting.…”