COMMUNITY GARDEN PROJECT The evidence to support the use of gardening to support health and participation

Discipline of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Contents: Generating Positive Neighbourhood Participation Older Adults Children Children with Autism Health Promotion People with Brain Injury People with Mental Health Issues 11 Chronic Disease Management pg. 11 pg. 3-4 pg. 4-5 pg. 6 pg. 7-8 pg. 8 pg. 9 pg. 10-

Our Vision Statement Our vision is to create a space which will facilitate those involved coming together as a community. By developing a sustainable garden, we aim to promote wellbeing through engagement in purposeful activity. 3rd Year Occupational Therapy Students, November, 2012 This booklet aims to give a brief overview of the evidence surrounding gardening as a therapeutic activity with various populations. Each theme is presented separately although we envisage that the garden will be used by multiple groups. If you would like any further information about the evidence presented in this booklet, please contact us.

1. Gardening and Generating Positive Neighbourhood Participation Gardening has been found to enhance play a neighbourhood major role in

participation. Community garden projects transforming unsightly areas into green areas/gardens (Saldivar-Tanaka & Krasny, 2004). Motivates residents to keep areas litter free (Glover, 2004). Residents who have common areas with more vegetation and greenery have much stronger neighbourhood relations and are more likely to become involved in other
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community activities (Kuo, Sullivan, Coley, & Brunson, 1998). Ohmer et al., (2009), found that participation in a community garden project by residents in Pennsylvania: Built knowledge & awareness of conservation. Enhanced residents sense of community identity and pride. 50% of the participants reported that the gardening programme had motivated them to become involved in more volunteering activities in the community. Specifically the authors found that the gardening project resulted in a number of outcomes including: Increased social interactions between community members: Neighbours get a chance to get to know each other to build a trusting relationship. Development of participants interpersonal skills through interaction with other members at events and through garden projects. Provides a unique learning opportunity for acquisition of gardening skills for all ages. Increased knowledge and awareness of the value of farming and how food is produced.

2. Gardening and Older Adults Gardening has consistently shown to be one of the most
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common leisure activities among older adults (Infantino, 2005). Therapeutic Aspects of Gardening: Gardening is a source of fascination, diversion and relaxation among older adults (Infantino, 2005; Kaplan, 1973). Gardening is a connection (it provides a connection to friends and family, a connection to past memories and a connection to nature) (Loving & Pacucci, 1997).

Sensory Aspects of Gardening: Many authors assert that gardening stimulates all of the senses (Infantino, 2005) and that this sensory stimulation is necessary to keep underlying neurological structures operating at maximum efficiency (Laming, 1997; Peik, 1998). Studies have found that gardening triggered memories through the sensory experience of touch and aroma. (McBey, 1985; Hanley, 1987) Cognitive Aspects of Gardening: Many authors examined the relationship between social and leisure activities and the risk of dementia (Edelman & Mandle, 1998; Fabrigoule et al,1995; Hammer & Small, 1993). Fabrigoule et al., (1995) identified gardening as a cognitively demanding and complex activity that serves to maintain mechanisms that promote cognitive performance. They found that participation and gardening
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was associated with a 50% lower risk of dementia. Gardening promotes continuous learning (people can enrich their knowledge of gardening through reading, television, taking courses and sharing knowledge) (Infantino, 2005).

3. Gardening and Children Laaksoharju, Rappe & Kaivola (2010) found that gardening enriched childrens social interaction and offered opportunities for social learning. Gardening offered affordances to learn manners, build friendships, confidence and work ethics. The garden environment fostered the childrens engagement in more diversified play activities. Miller (2007) found that through gardening, children were communicating what they knew about their world and conveying their emotions. Children developed visuo-spatial skills, language, literacy, science, maths, body awareness, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills through gardening. Children also learnt about art elements such as line, shape, pattern, colour, texture and space. Kim & Park (2012) found that a horticultural therapy programme for children with intellectual disabilities resulted in increased social performance when compared with children who didnt receive the intervention. Fried & Wichrowski (2008) found that gardening exercises fine and gross motor skills, range of movement, strength and endurance. It also provides emotional benefits of increased selfesteem and mood, and the opportunity of respite for children with blood and cancer disorders.
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4. Gardening and Children with Autism Engaging with the child with autism in a garden or nature setting may help the child to learn positive social patterns and provide transferable skills such as planning and organisation, etc. (Mount & Cavet, 1995; Chawla & Heft, 2002) The visual, auditory and tactile stimuli that gardens offer and the opportunities they offer for exploration may assist users in developing an understanding of the environment and increasing self-awareness, self-esteem and self-modulation. (Mount & Cavet, 1995; Chawla & Heft, 2002; Stadele & Malaney, 2001). Gardens can be used in an educational context to stimulate the senses, to increase tactile qualities, to support way-finding and mobility and to encourage behavioural changes and social interaction of children with autism. (Stadele & Malaney, 2001).

5. Health Promotion Poor dietary patterns and unhealthy behaviours are common in young children and adolescents. (ODea, 2004). Gardening can have a positive effect on childrens knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours associated with vegetable consumption. (Ratcliffe et al., 2011) Gardening with children and adolescents demonstrated the following results: It had a significant effect on their consumption of fruits and vegetables (Preference for vegetables increased, they were also more willing to taste vegetables) Increase in numbers of fruit servings, vegetable servings, vitamin A & C intake. Increase in fibre intake. Better able to identify vegetables (McAlesse & Rankin, 2007). 6. People with Brain Injury Sderback et al., (2004) found that horticulture therapy mediates emotional, cognitive and/or sensory motor functional improvement, increased social participation, health, well-being and life satisfaction among people with brain injury. Sderback found that participants interpersonal relations were strengthened through the shared work.
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 Participants with severe brain damage and decreased awareness also received sensory stimulation from the garden. The participants involvement in gardening gave them a sense of pleasure and promoted creativity and well-being. The gardening activities supported training and improvement of mobility, muscle strength and balance, fine, gross, bilateral and eye-hand motor co-ordination, and range of motion. 7. People with Mental Illness Gardening as an Occupation Barley et al., (2012) describes how gardening provided purposeful and enjoyable activity which improved mood and self-perceptions of people with mental illnesses. Participants considered being outside as therapeutic and found that gardening provided an escape from lifes pressures. Perrins-Margalis (2000) describes how gardening provided a sense of accomplishment and a sensory experience for participants with chronic mental illness. Gardening also allowed for self-expression through choice of crops and tools. Gardening can alleviate symptoms of depression.

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 Gonzalez et al, (2009) found that after a 12 week gardening programme for those with depression, depression severity decreased, feelings of stress decreased and positive affect increased.

Gardens can promote social inclusion and can facilitate group cohesion. Many people with mental health problems face social exclusion (Diamant & Waterhouse, 2010). Gardening promotes social inclusion through engaging participants in garden activities and through socialising. People with mental health difficulties often struggle to socialise within a group. (Gonzalez et al. 2009) Gonzalez et al., (2009) found that people with mental illness felt a sense of group cohesion after engaging in gardening tasks; fostering a sense of mutual belonging and trust. This cohesion was achieved through both active and passive participation in gardening. Therefore group cohesion is not exclusive to those who are involved in the physical aspects of gardening.

8. Chronic Disease Management Horticulture Therapy has been shown to have improvements with people who live with musculoskeletal pain such as
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Fibromyalgia and Chronic Back Pain (Verra, Angst & Beck, 2012) It has demonstrated improvements with regards to A reduction in negative beliefs about pain. Reduction in fear towards "laboured work" once the work has been graded accordingly. Significant increase in mood and affect after horticulture session. Decreased anxiety and depression. References
Barley, E., Robinson, S. & Sikorski, J. (2001) Primary-care based participatory rehabilitation: Users views of a horticultural and arts project, The British Journal of General Practice: The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 62, 595, p 12734. Diamant, E. & Waterhouse, A. (2010) Gardening and belonging: Reflections on how social and therapeutic horticulture may facilitate health, wellbeing and inclusion, The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73, 2, p 8488. Fabrigoule, C., Letenneur, L., Dartigues, J., Zarrouk, M., Commenges, D., Barberger-Gateau, P. (1995) Social and leisure activities and risk of dementia: A prospective longitudinal study, American Geriatric Society, 43, p 485-490. Fried, G. G., & Wichrowski, M. J. (2008) Horticultural therapy: A psychosocial treatment option at the Stephen D. Hassenfeid Childrens Centre for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Primary Psychiatry, 15, 7, p 7377. Glover, T. (2004) Social capital in the lived experiences of community gardeners Leisure Sciences, 26; 143162. Gonzalez, M., Hartig, T., Patil, G., Martinsen, E. & Kirkevold, M. (2011) "A prospective study of group cohesiveness in therapeutic horticulture for clinical depression International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 20, 2, p 11929. Hussein, H. (2010). Using the sensory garden as a tool to enhance the educational development and social interaction of children with special needs. Support for Learning, Infantino, M. (2004) Gardening: A strategy for health promotion in older women, Journal of the New York State Nurses Association, 35, 2, p 10-17. Kaplan, R. (1973) Some psychological benefits of gardening, Environment and Behaviour, 5, p 145-152. Kim, B., Park, S., Song, J. & Son, K. (2012) Horticultural therapy program for the improvement of attention and sociality in children with intellectual disabilities, Horticulture Technology, 22, 3, p 320- 324. Kuo, F., Sullivan, W., Coley, R. & Brunson, L. (1998) Fertile ground for community: inner-city neighbourhood common spaces, American Journal of Community Psychology, 26, 6, p 823-851. Laaksoharju, T., Rappe, E. & Kaivola, T. (2012) Garden affordances for social learning, play and for building the nature- child relationship, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 11, p 195-203.

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McAlesse, J. & Rankin, L. (2007) Garden-based nutrition education affects fruit and vegetable consumption in sixth-grade adolescents , Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 107, 4, p 662-665. McBey, M. (1985) The therapeutic aspects of gardens and gardening: an aspect of total patient care, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 10, p 591-595. Miller, D. (2007) The seeds of learning: young children develop important skills through their gardening activities at a midwestern early education program, Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 6, 1, p 49-66. Morris, J. & Zidenberg-Cherr, S. (2002) Garden-enhanced curriculum improves fourth-grade school childrens knowledge of nutrition and preferences for some vegetables, American Journal of Diet Association, 102, p 91-93. ODea, J. (2004) Children and adolescents eating habits and attitudes: preliminary findings from the national nutrition and physical activity study, Nutri Date, 15, p 1-4. Ohmer, M., Meadowcroft, P., Freed, K. & Lewis, E. (2009) Community gardening and community development: individual, social and community benefits of a community conservation program, Journal of Community Practice, 17, 4, p 377-399. Perrins-Margalis, N., Ruglectic, J., Schepis, N., Stepanski, H. & Walsh, M. (2000) The immediate effects of a group-based horticulture experience on the quality of life of persons with chronic mental illness, Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 16, 1 p1532. Ratcliffe, M., Merrigan, K., Rogers, B. & Goldberg, J. (2011) The effects of school garden experiences on middle schoolaged students knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours associated with vegetable consumption, Society of Public Health Education, 12, 1, p 36-43. Richards, H. & Kafami, D. (1999) Impact of horticultural therapy on vulnerability and resistance to substance abuse among incarcerated offenders , Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 29, 3-4, p 183193. Saldivar-Tanaka, L., & Krasny, M., (2004) Culturing community development, neighborhood open space, and civic agriculture: The case of Latino community gardens in New York City Agriculture and Human Values. 21; 399412. Sderback I., Sderstrm M., Schalander E., 2004, Horticultural therapy: The Healing Garden and gardening in rehabilitation measure at Danderyd Hospital Rehabilitation Clinic, Sweden, Paediatric Rehabilitation, Vol. 7, No. 4, p. 245260. Verra, M., Angst, F., Beck, T., Lehmann, S., Brioschi, R., Schneiter, R. & Aeschlimann, A. (2012) Horticulture therapy for clients with chronic musculoskeletal pain: results of a pilot study, Alternative Therapies, 18, 2, p 44-50.

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This booklet was collated by: Niamh Burke Tracey Connolly Christopher Culkeen Orla Daly Caitriona O Donnell Kate Loughran Lorraine Morrin Sarah Murtagh Elaine OGrady

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This booklet was kindly sponsored by Bank of Ireland

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