Factors Influencing the Visit to the Courtyard Gardens in Public Hospitals in Malaysia

Abstract

Individuals’ mental health and well-being are significantly influenced by being in a natural setting and viewing nature. Hospital courtyard gardens (HCG) is a common feature found in public hospitals in Malaysia. Nevertheless, the factors influencing the visitation and non-visitation to the HCG are less understood. This study attempts to investigate factors influencing the visit and non-visitation of patients, staff and visitors to the HCGs in three Malaysian public hospitals. The research findings are instrumental to the architects and landscape architects to make necessary improvements for future HCG design and the hospital managers to enhance and retrofit the existing HCG. Keywords: Courtyard Gardens; Visitation; Non-visitation, Public hospital eISSN 2514-751X ©2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians, Africans, Arabians), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ajebs.v6i20.396

The Architects’ and Landscape Architects’ Views on the Design and Planning of the Hospital Courtyard Gardens (Hcg) in Malaysia

“…Patients exposed to the uncertainty in recovering from health-threatening problems could elevate their stress levels. Having contact with nature can facilitate recovery from stress and allow them to calm their mind and improve their mood while being hospitalised (Idris et al, 2021). Based on the observation, HCGs are often used as a place for the patient and family to meet and spend time outdoors (See Figure 2).…”