Physical and Psychological Health Conditions of Older Adults Classified as Gardeners or Nongardeners

Abstract

Additional index words. CHAMPS questionnaire, SF-36, hand function, bone mineral density, human issues in horticulture Abstract. The objective of this study was to compare the physical and psychological health conditions and leisure-time activities, particularly physical activities (PAs), of older gardeners and nongardeners. Fifty-three older adults were recruited from the community of Manhattan, KS. Three groups were classified based on results from the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors questionnaire: active gardeners (n = 11) classified as gardeners that met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) PA recommendation through gardening; gardeners (n = 14) classified as gardeners that did not meet the CDC's PA recommendation through gardening; and nongardeners (n = 28). Overall physical and mental health conditions were determined with the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), hand function (hand strength and pinch force) was determined by dynamometers, and bone mineral density (BMD) was determined by dual-energy xray absorptiometry. Active gardeners were significantly different from gardeners and nongardeners in physical health (P # 0.05) on SF-36. There were no differences in mental health among the three groups, but all groups had scores higher than the U.S. general population. Active gardeners + gardeners had greater hand strength and pinch force than nongardeners. There was no difference in BMD among the groups, but all subjects had higher scores than the standard BMD value for their age. The only significant difference of caloric expenditure in leisure-time PAs among the groups was gardening (P < 0.001). In conclusion, gardening can be a useful strategy to meet the CDC's PA recommendation. In addition to the health benefits linked to regular PA, this study showed that gardening promotes hand strength, pinch force, and overall physical health.

Observing Body Position of Older Adults While Gardening for Health Benefits and Risks

“…In our previous research, older gardeners had greater hand strength and pinch force than older nongardeners (Park et al, 2009). However, for older gardeners with arthritis, gripping tightly can cause pain and swelling of the knuckles.…”

“…In our previous research, gardening by older gardeners was determined to be moderate intensity physical activity and the older gardeners met the physical activity recommendation for health (at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days of the week) through their daily gardening (Park, Shoemaker, & Haub, 2008). Older gardeners also reported better overall physical health and hand function abilities (hand strength and pinch force) than nongardening older adults (Park, Shoemaker, & Haub, 2009). Reynolds (1999) reported that grip strength improved after a 6-month gardening program and improvement in cardiovascular fitness was expected because gardening activities elevated the heart rate of participants.…”

Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis

“…For studies that measured health outcomes during gardening on multiple occasions, we used only data points at the start (control) and end (treatment). One study (Park et al, 2009) compared health outcomes of people with multiple levels of gardening activity (non-gardeners, gardeners, and active gardeners; here, active gardeners were defined as those who met or exceeded recommended physical activity levels by gardening, and gardeners as those who did not meet this recommendation by gardening but did garden as moderate intensity). In this case, we compared only non-gardeners and gardeners.…”

Exploring ecological, emotional and social levers of self-rated health for urban gardeners and non-gardeners: A path analysis

“…For example, Park and others showed that gardening was an effective way for adults to meet the national guidelines for moderate to vigorous physical activity (Park, Shoemaker, & Haub, 2009). In other studies, urban gardeners reported fruit and vegetable intake levels that met national guidelines for fruit and vegetable consumption (Alaimo, Packnett, Miles, & Kruger, 2008; Litt et al, 2011).…”