The Influence of Urban Gardening Activities on Participants' Perceived Restorativeness, Resilience, Sense of Community and Stress

Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Jun 6;11(12):1664. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11121664.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the influence of urban garden activities on participants' perceived restorativeness, resilience, sense of community, and stress reduction. A total of ninety individuals who agreed to participate in the experiment were divided into experimental and control groups. To collect data, 16 sessions of urban garden activities were conducted every two weeks from May to November 2022. Perceived Restorativeness Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Sense of Community Index, and Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument were employed to measure participants' psychological effects. To evaluate physiological effects, salivary cortisol tests were performed. The results of the study revealed that urban gardening activities influenced on participants' physiological and psychological reactions in positive ways.

Keywords: perceived restorativeness; resilience; salivary cortisol; sense of community; stress; urban garden.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.