No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Associations of Vigorous Gardening With Cardiometabolic Risk Markers for Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Abstract
This study investigates the associations of vigorous-intensity gardening time with cardiometabolic health risk markers. This cross-sectional study (AusDiab) analyzed 2011-2012 data of 3,664 adults (55% women, mean [range], age = 59.3 [34-94] years) in Australia. Multiple linear regression models examined associations of time spent participating in vigorous gardening (0, <150 min/week, ≥150 min/week) with a clustered cardiometabolic risk (CMR) score and its components, for the whole sample and stratified by age and gender. Of participants, 61% did no vigorous gardening, 23% reported <150 min/week, and 16% reported ≥150 min/week. In the whole sample, spending ≥150 min/week in vigorous gardening was associated with lower CMR (lower CMR score, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, and triglycerides) compared with no vigorous gardening. Stratified analyses suggested that these associations were almost exclusively observed for older adults and women. These findings suggest the public health potential of vigorous-intensity gardening in reducing CMR.
... Inconsistencies in the association between mental health outcomes and gardening may be due to several factors, ranging from sample differences (e.g., age, general population, psychiatric outpatients) or comparison groups (e.g., gardeners versus activity group members) to a lack of systematic tools to measure gardening as an unstructured activity. Previous research has found that gardening may affect middle-aged and older adults differently (Kingsley et al. 2022;Van den Berg et al. 2010), such that the positive association between gardening and wellbeing is stronger for older adults. The literature also points to type of gardening and dose (i.e., intensity, frequency, duration;Chalmin-Pui et al. 2021a;Kingsley et al. 2022;Pretty et al. 2005;Scott et al. 2020), as well as garden design (e.g., amount of greenery; Jarvis et al. 2020;Young et al. 2020), as variables that may influence physical and psychological health outcomes. ...
... Previous research has found that gardening may affect middle-aged and older adults differently (Kingsley et al. 2022;Van den Berg et al. 2010), such that the positive association between gardening and wellbeing is stronger for older adults. The literature also points to type of gardening and dose (i.e., intensity, frequency, duration;Chalmin-Pui et al. 2021a;Kingsley et al. 2022;Pretty et al. 2005;Scott et al. 2020), as well as garden design (e.g., amount of greenery; Jarvis et al. 2020;Young et al. 2020), as variables that may influence physical and psychological health outcomes. Future research could clarify the influence of these factors. ...
Gardening can promote psychological wellbeing, which is critical in urbanised societies where disconnection from nature may negatively affect mental health. Previous reviews have summarised the existing evidence on the psychological benefits of gardening; however, those reviews combine the results of intervention studies (i.e., structured gardening programmes) and observational studies, thus obscuring the impacts of gardening as an unstructured activity. The aim of this scoping review is to summarise the evidence on the relationship between unstructured gardening activities and mental health outcomes among adults. A search of four databases (EBSCO Host, PsycInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science) identified 753 articles, 13 of which met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 12 studies found significant positive associations between gardening and wellbeing, life satisfaction, positive mood, reduced stress, and lower anxiety, although some inconsistent findings were evident. This review finds evidence for a positive association between engaging in unstructured gardening activities and psychological wellbeing among adults. However, most studies are limited by small, non-representative samples and often assess gardening using single items or non-validated scales. Future research to address these limitations is needed, including recruitment of population-level samples and use of psychometrically robust tools.
... Evidence indicates that gardening is a popular leisure time activity and more prevalent in adults over the age of 65 years (e.g. Kingsley et al., 2022;Park & Shoemaker, 2009). ...
... Prior to performing the stratified analyses, the interacting effects of age category and duration of time spent gardening on mental wellbeing and life satisfaction were tested. Stratified analyses were conducted regardless of the statistical significance of the interaction effect, as plausible reasons to speculate about the presence of differences in the effect of gardening on health between middle-aged and older adults have been documented (de Bell et al., 2020;Kingsley et al., 2022;Van den Berg et al., 2010). ...
... The health and wellbeing benefits of urban gardens are highlighted in a number of studies which identify perceived improvements in physical and mental health, social connectedness, a sense of engagement and responsibility, greater food access and improved nutritional intake [17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. Greenery in urban contexts can also encourage individuals to coinhabit and co-domesticate the streets, enabling people within cities to more easily recognise and engage with nature's cycles [24]. ...
... In-depth, semi-structured interviews were guided by open-ended questions. These questions related to the extent of participants' gardening background, motivations for involvement [10,13], the perceived values [9][10][11][12][13][14] and challenges [22,[46][47][48][49][50][51] of participation, and their understanding and experiences of wellbeing [17][18][19][20][21][22][23] and belonging [31,[40][41][42]45] through urban gardening. Greater insight was sought in these key areas through applying a broader theoretical analysis to that within existing community and gardening literature. ...
The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of the benefits and challenges experienced by community and allotment gardens utilising a broad theoretical analysis, pertaining to the case study of Melbourne, a city in Australia that until recently has been experiencing significant population growth and urban densification. The study involved qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 23 participants from six urban community and allotment gardens. Interviews identified the perceived benefits of community and allotment gardening, perceived demographic patterns of engagement, challenges faced in relation to secure land access, and the potential offered by community and allotment gardens for social and environmental wellbeing. Findings revealed a range of perceived benefits, perceived demographic patterns, highlighted challenges posed to participation due to insecurity around ongoing land access, and detailed the perceived capacity community and allotment gardens have to contribute to social and environmental wellbeing. This study contributes to existing literature focused on the benefits and potential of community and allotment gardening for personal, social and environmental wellbeing, by offering an original theoretical contribution through carrying out an analysis informed by urban geography, phenomenology, political economy and ecology, and to literature focused on issues of access to land for these amenities.
Interacting with nature may promote mental and physical health. There are multiple ways to interact with nature: indirectly, incidentally, and intentionally. How these types of interactions with nature may be associated with mental and physical health status and health behaviors is unclear. The purpose of this narrative review is to (1) describe the relationship between interactions with nature (indirect, incidental, and intentional) and mental and physical health outcomes and behaviors, (2) identify gaps in the literature, and (3) provide recommendations for future research. Considerable evidence suggests that interacting with nature, indirectly and intentionally, is associated with improvements in mental health and physical exhibitions of mental status. Furthermore, intentionally interacting with nature is associated with engagement in physical activity and gardening is associated with fruit and vegetable consumption. Research suggests that incidentally interacting with nature may be associated with positive mental health status. More research is needed to understand the relationships between incidental interactions with nature and physical health status and behaviors; as well as among all types of interactions with nature and physical health disorders, sleep, and dietary behaviors.
There is increasing evidence of the health and wellbeing benefits of gardening. However, such benefits are not shared equally across groups in the community. It is important from a social justice perspective to understand the contextual factors that influence opportunities to garden, and how they are distributed in society, how well, and to whom. Despite being a primary site in which people garden, little is known about how characteristics of housing (e.g., property rights, dwelling type) may influence gardening opportunities. Identifying housing-related barriers or enablers to gardening could suggest potential strategies to increase participation in gardening or provide gardening opportunities for those with less conducive housing situations. Building on the small body of knowledge of housing characteristics relevant to gardening opportunities and participation, we propose a new research agenda aiming to understand the relationships between housing characteristics, socioeconomic status, and gardening. Through identifying ways to engage more people from diverse housing situations and socioeconomic positions in the act of gardening, we hope that this new research agenda can help to promote health equity.
Objectives
To describe new WHO 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour.
Methods
The guidelines were developed in accordance with WHO protocols. An expert Guideline Development Group reviewed evidence to assess associations between physical activity and sedentary behaviour for an agreed set of health outcomes and population groups. The assessment used and systematically updated recent relevant systematic reviews; new primary reviews addressed additional health outcomes or subpopulations.
Results
The new guidelines address children, adolescents, adults, older adults and include new specific recommendations for pregnant and postpartum women and people living with chronic conditions or disability. All adults should undertake 150–300 min of moderate-intensity, or 75–150 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or some equivalent combination of moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, per week. Among children and adolescents, an average of 60 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity across the week provides health benefits. The guidelines recommend regular muscle-strengthening activity for all age groups. Additionally, reducing sedentary behaviours is recommended across all age groups and abilities, although evidence was insufficient to quantify a sedentary behaviour threshold.
Conclusion
These 2020 WHO guidelines update previous WHO recommendations released in 2010. They reaffirm messages that some physical activity is better than none, that more physical activity is better for optimal health outcomes and provide a new recommendation on reducing sedentary behaviours. These guidelines highlight the importance of regularly undertaking both aerobic and muscle strengthening activities and for the first time, there are specific recommendations for specific populations including for pregnant and postpartum women and people living with chronic conditions or disability. These guidelines should be used to inform national health policies aligned with the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030 and to strengthen surveillance systems that track progress towards national and global targets.
Objective
To systematically identify and describe studies that have evaluated the impact of gardens and gardening on health and well-being. A secondary objective was to use this evidence to build evidence-based logic models to guide health strategy decision making about gardens and gardening as a non-medical, social prescription.
Design
Scoping review of the impact of gardens and gardening on health and well-being. Gardens include private spaces and those open to the public or part of hospitals, care homes, hospices or third sector organisations.
Data sources
A range of biomedical and health management journals was searched including Medline, CINAHL, Psychinfo, Web of Knowledge, ASSIA, Cochrane, Joanna Briggs, Greenfile, Environment Complete and a number of indicative websites were searched to locate context-specific data and grey literature. We searched from 1990 to November 2019.
Eligibility criteria
We included research studies (including systematic reviews) that assessed the effect, value or impact of any garden that met the gardening definition.
Data extraction and synthesis
Three reviewers jointly screened 50 records by titles and abstracts to ensure calibration. Each record title was screened independently by 2 out of 3 members of the project team and each abstract was screened by 1 member of a team of 3. Random checks on abstract and full-text screening were conducted by a fourth member of the team and any discrepancies were resolved through double-checking and discussion.
Results
From the 8896 papers located, a total of 77 * studies was included. Over 35 validated health, well-being and functional biometric outcome measures were reported. Interventions ranged from viewing gardens, taking part in gardening or undertaking therapeutic activities. The findings demonstrated links between gardens and improved mental well-being, increased physical activity and a reduction in social isolation enabling the development of 2 logic models.
Conclusions
Gardens and gardening can improve the health and well-being for people with a range of health and social needs. The benefits of gardens and gardening could be used as a ‘social prescription’ globally, for people with long-term conditions (LTCs). Our logic models provide an evidence-based illustration that can guide health strategy decision making about the referral of people with LTCs to socially prescribed, non-medical interventions involving gardens and gardening.
Recent literature has revealed the positive effect of gardening on human health; however, empirical evidence on the effects of gardening-based programs on psychosocial well-being is scant. This meta-analysis aims to examine the scientific literature on the effect of community gardening or horticultural interventions on a variety of outcomes related to psychosocial well-being, such as social cohesion, networking, social support, and trust. From 383 bibliographic records retrieved (from 1975 to 2019), seven studies with a total of 22 effect sizes were selected on the basis of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Meta-analytic findings on 11 comparisons indicate a positive and moderate effect of horticultural or gardening interventions on psychosocial well-being. Moderation analysis shows a greater effect size in individualistic than collectivistic cultures. A greater effect size was also observed in studies involving community gardening compared to horticultural intervention. Nevertheless, an effect of publication bias and study heterogeneity has been detected. Despite the presence of a large number of qualitative studies on the effect of horticulture/gardening on psychosocial well-being, quantitative studies are lacking. There is a strong need to advance into further high-quality studies on this research topic given that gardening has promising applied implications for human health, the community, and sustainable city management.
Objectives
This study examined relationships between home and community gardening and older adults’ self-reported psychosocial and physical well-being, attitudes to aging relative to gardening activities and benefits of membership to a gardening group.
Methods
A survey addressing (a) demographic characteristics, (b) gardening interests and sentiments, (c) activities, (d) benefits, (e) self-rated health and quality of life and (f) attitudes to aging was administered online and via mail-out.
Results
Participants, 331 gardeners aged 60–95 years from Australia, reported numerous benefits from leisure gardening. According to multiple regression analysis, Restoration and Physical benefits were the strongest explanatory variables of participants’ positive aging self-perceptions. Members of gardening groups reported significantly more social and physical benefits than non-members.
Conclusion
The current study provides support for promoting positive aging through gardening. Regardless of ‘doing’ gardening or simply ‘being’ in the garden, having contact with nature was key to attaining positive therapeutic benefits for this sample.
Background
Increased global urbanisation has led to public health challenges. Community gardens are identified as a mechanism for addressing socio-ecological determinants of health. This study aims to explore motives for joining community gardens, and the extent to which participation can be facilitated given barriers and enablers to community gardening. Such a study fills a gap in the public health literature, particularly in the Australian context.
Methods
This paper presents findings from semi-structured interviews with 23 participants from 6 community gardens across Melbourne. Applying phenomenological, epistemological and reflexive methodologies and thematic analysis of the data, this study provides a snapshot of drivers of community garden participation.
Results
Results were categorised into six enabling themes to participation. These themes revolved around (i) family history, childhood and passion for gardening; (ii) productive gardening, sustainability and growing fresh produce in nature; (iii) building social and community connections; (iv) community and civic action; (v) stress relief; and (vi) building identity, pride and purpose. Time costs incurred, garden governance and vandalism of garden spaces were among the barriers to community garden participation.
Conclusion
Although an interest in the act of gardening itself may be universally present among community gardeners to varying degrees, the findings of this study suggest that motivations for participation are diverse and span a range of ancestral, social, environmental, and political domains. This study contributes exploratory insights on community garden motivations and sustained involvement across multiple urban sites in Melbourne (Australia). This study recommends extending this work by undertaking future quantitative research that can move from local case studies to a national guidelines on how to engage more people in urban agriculture activities like community gardening.
Abstract
Background
There has been an increasing interest in urban agriculture (UA) practice and research in recent years. Scholars have already reported numerous beneficial and potential adverse impacts of UA on health-related outcomes. This scoping review aims to explore these impacts and identify knowledge gaps for future UA studies.
Methods
A systematic search was conducted in seven electronic bibliographic databases to identify relevant peer-reviewed studies. Articles were screened and assessed for eligibility. From eligible studies, data were extracted to summarize, collate, appraise the quality and make a narrative account of the findings.
Results
A total of 101 articles (51 quantitative, 29 qualitative, and 21 mixed methods studies) were included in our final analysis. Among these articles, 38% and 37% reported findings from North America and Sub-Saharan Africa respectively. Quantitative studies revealed evidence of positive impacts of UA on food security, nutrition outcomes, physical and mental health outcomes, and social capital. The qualitative studies reported a wide range of perceived benefits and motivations of UA. The most frequently reported benefits include contributions to social capital, food security, health and/or wellbeing. However, the evidence must be interpreted with caution since the quality of most of the studies was assessed as weak to moderate. While no definitive conclusions can be drawn about the adverse impacts of UA on health, paying particular attention to contamination of UA soil is recommended.
Conclusion
More peer-reviewed studies are needed in areas where UA is practiced such as Latin America and Caribbean. The inconsistency and the lack of strong quality in the methodology of the included studies are proof that more rigorous studies are also needed in future research. Nevertheless, the substantial existing evidence from this review corroborate that UA can influence different determinants of health such as food security, social capital, health and well-being in a variety of contexts.
Keywords
Urban agriculture (UA), Determinants of health, Food, Health, Scoping review
There is increasing evidence that exposure to plants and green space, and particularly to gardening, is beneficial to mental and physical health, and so could reduce the pressure on NHS services. Health professionals should therefore encourage their patients to make use of green space and to work in gardens, and should pressure local authorities to increase open spaces and the number of trees, thus also helping to counteract air pollution and climate change.
This study aimed to examine older adults' physical activity intentions and preferred implementation intentions, and how intentions and preferred implementation intentions differ between older, middle aged and younger adults. A cross-sectional Australian wide telephone survey of 1217 respondents was conducted in 2016. Multiple and ordinal regression analyses were conducted to compare intentions and preferred implementation intentions between older (65 +), middle aged (45-64) and younger adults (< 45). A higher percentage of older adults had no intentions to engage in regular physical activity within the next 6 months (60%) compared to younger adults (25%). Older adults' most popular preferences included being active at least once a day and for 30 min or less and were more likely to prefer more frequent and shorter sessions compared to younger adults. Both older and middle aged adults were more likely to prefer slower paced physical activity compared to younger adults who preferred fast paced physical activity. Physical activity interventions for older adults should address the high percentage of older adults with no intentions and public health campaigns for older adults should promote 30 min daily sessions of slow paced activity.
This study examined whether gardening modifies the association between age and body mass index (BMI). We used data from the Neighborhood Environments and Health Survey, which was conducted in Denver (N = 469) between 2006 and 2007. We fit two general linear mixed models. The base model had BMI in kg/m² as the outcome, and age, an indicator variable for non-gardening status and the age-by-non-gardening status interaction as predictors. The adjusted model included as covariates the potential confounders of education, ethnicity and self-reported health. We assessed self-selection bias and confounding. BMI was 27.18 kg/m² for non-gardeners, 25.62 kg/m² for home gardeners, and 24.17 kg/m² for community gardeners. In the base model, a statistically significant association was observed between age and BMI for non-gardeners but not for the combined community and home gardening group (F = 9.27, ndf = 1, ddf = 441, p = 0.0025). In the adjusted model, the association between age and BMI in non-gardeners was not statistically significant (F = 1.72, ndf = 1, ddf = 431, p = 0.1908). Gardeners differed on social and demographic factors when compared to non-gardeners. The results from the base model are consistent with the hypothesis that gardening might offset age-related weight gain. However, the cross-sectional design does not permit differentiation of true causal effects from the possible effects of bias and confounding. As a follow-up study, to remove bias and confounding, we are conducting a randomized clinical trial of community gardening in Denver.
Background
Although regular participation in physical activity (PA) has health benefits across the life span, the proportion of people doing sufficient activity for these benefits decreases with age. The aim of this study was to identify motivating factors and context preferences for PA in people in their sixties, and to examine gender differences in these factors.
Methods
Data were used from people aged 60–67 years who responded to a mail survey in Brisbane, Australia, in 2009. Respondents indicated their agreement/disagreement with seven PA motivators and 14 PA context preferences. Data were analyzed using multi-level multinomial logistic regression, adjusted for sociodemographic and health variables, and PA level.
Results
Of the 1845 respondents, 59% was female. Based on self-reported PA, one in three respondents (35%) did not meet the PA guidelines of at least 150 min of moderate intensity PA per week. The three leading motivating factors for both women and men were to prevent health problems, to feel good and to lose weight. Women were more likely than men to be motivated by improving appearance (OR 2.93, 95%CI 2.07–4.15), spending time with others (1.76, 1.31–2.37), meeting friends (1.76, 1.31–2.36) or losing weight (1.74, 1.12–2.71). The three leading context preferences for both women and men were for activities close to home, at low cost and that could be done alone. Women were more likely than men to prefer activities that are with people of the same sex (OR 4.67, 95%CI 3.14–6.94), supervised (2.79, 1.94–4.02), with people the same age (2.00, 1.43–2.78) and at a fixed time (1.42, 1.06–1.91). Women were less likely than men to prefer activities that are competitive (OR 0.32, 95%CI 0.22–0.46), are vigorous (0.33, 0.24–0.47), require skill and practice (0.40, 0.29–0.55) and done outdoors (0.51, 0.30–0.86).
Conclusion
Although there was overlap in motivating factors and context preferences for PA in women and men aged 60–67 years, there were also marked gender differences. These results suggest that PA options for people in their sixties should be tailored to meet gender specific interests in order to promote PA participation in this rapidly growing population group.
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a gardening intervention as a physical activity in women aged over 70 years. Twenty-one women aged over 70 years were recruited from the community in Seoul, South Korea. Eleven subjects at a senior community center participated in a 15-session gardening program (twice a week, average 50 minutes per session) from Sept. to Nov. 2015. The rest of the subjects who were recruited from another senior community center acted as the control group. Blood lipid profiles, blood pressure, inflammation in peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and oxidative stress were assessed by a blood test before and after the 15-session gardening intervention. The results showed that the subjects in the gardening intervention as a low- to moderate-physical activity had a significant improvement in their high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and the variables related to immunity such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) for inflammation in blood and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) expression for oxidative stress. The results of this study suggested that the 15-session gardening intervention as a low- to moderate-physical activity led to positive effects on the blood lipid profiles, blood pressure, level of inflammatory markers in blood, and oxidative stress of women aged over 70 years. © 2017, American Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.
There is increasing evidence that gardening provides substantial human health benefits. However, no formal statistical assessment has been conducted to test this assertion. Here, we present the results of a meta-analysis of research examining the effects of gardening, including horticultural therapy, on health. We performed a literature search to collect studies that compared health outcomes in control (before participating in gardening or non-gardeners) and treatment groups (after participating in gardening or gardeners) in January 2016. The mean difference in health outcomes between the two groups was calculated for each study, and then the weighted effect size determined both across all and sets of subgroup studies. 22 case studies (published after 2001) were included in the meta-analysis, which comprised 74 comparisons between control and treatment groups. Most studies came from the United States, followed by Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Studies reported a wide range of health outcomes, such as reductions in depression, anxiety and body mass index, as well as increases in life satisfaction, quality of life and sense of community. Meta-analytic estimates showed a significant positive effect of gardening on the health outcomes both for all and sets of subgroup studies, whilst effect sizes differed among eight subgroups. Although Egger's test indicated the presence of publication bias, significant positive effects of gardening remained after adjusting for this using trim and fill analysis. This study has provided robust evidence for the positive effects of gardening on health. A regular dose of gardening can improve public health.
The influence of the physical activity environment in the home and at work on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and objectively-measured physical activity has not been extensively studied. We recruited 147 women with a (mean ± SD) age of 54 ± 7 years and without evidence of chronic disease. The physical activity environment was assessed by self-report (Assessing Levels of PHysical Activity or ALPHA questionnaire), CRF using a submaximal step test, usual physical activity using combined heart rate and accelerometry, as well as by a validated questionnaire (Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire). Summary scores of the home environment and the work environment derived from the ALPHA questionnaire were positively correlated with CRF after adjustment for age (r = 0.18, p = 0.03 and r = 0.28, p < 0.01, respectively). Women owning a bicycle or having a garden (which may prompt physical activity) had higher CRF; those with a bicycle at home also had a higher physical activity energy expenditure. Similarly, women who had access to fitness equipment at work had higher CRF. In conclusion, these results provide new insights into potential environmental influences on physical capacity and physical activity that could inform the design of physical activity promotion strategies.
A questionnaire based on the Life Satisfaction Inventory A (LSIA) was used to investigate older adult (age 50+ years) gardeners' and nongardeners' perceptions of personal life satisfaction and levels of physical activity. The LSIA measures five components of quality of life: "zest for life," "resolution and fortitude," "congruence between desired and achieved goals," "physical, psychological, and social self-concept," and "optimism." Additional multiplechoice questions were asked to determine respondents' level of physical activity, perceptions of overall health and well-being as well as to gather demographic information. The survey was posted on a university homepage for ≈1 month. Responses were gathered from 298 participants who differentiated themselves as gardeners or nongardeners by responding positively or negatively to the question "do you garden?" Results indicated statistically significant differences in comparisons of overall life satisfaction scores with gardeners receiving higher mean scores indicating more positive results on the LSIA. Four individual quality-of-life statements included in the LSIA yielded statistically significantly more positive answers by gardeners when compared with nongardeners. Other questions regarding healthful practices revealed that personal reports of physical activity and perceptions of personal health were statistically significantly more positive among gardeners when compared with nongardeners.
The objective of this study was to determine the exercise intensities of 10 gardening tasks for men and women in their 20s. Fifteen university students [(mean ± SD) age 24.7 ± 1.4 years and body mass index 23.5 ± 4.1 kg.m-2] participated in this study. On two occasions, the subjects completed 10 gardening tasks in a high tunnel and a grassy area with weeds located near the high tunnel in Cheongju, Chungbuk, South Korea. They performed five gardening tasks randomly ordered on each occasion. Subjects did each gardening task for 5 minutes and then sat and rested in a chair for 5 minutes before the next task. Each subject wore a portable telemetric calorimeter and respired into the facemask during the gardening tasks and resting periods to measure their oxygen uptake. The subjects also wore a heart rate monitor under their breast to record heart rate data during the gardening tasks and resting periods via radiotelemetry. The 10 gardening tasks performed by the subjects were determined to be moderate- to high-intensity physical activities [3.5 ± 0.5 to 6.3 ± 1.2 metabolic equivalents (MET)]. In conclusion, the exercise intensity of gardening tasks should be useful information for developing garden exercise programs that meet the recommended physical activity for health benefits in adults.
This study aimed to clarify the effects of gardening on hemodynamic response, rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during exercise, and body weight in patients in whom phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation (CR) was interrupted due to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Among 76 outpatients participating in consecutive phase 2 CR in both periods from March to April and June to July 2020, which were before and after CR interruption, respectively, at Sanda City Hospital were enrolled. The inclusion criterion was outpatients whose CR was interrupted due to COVID-19. Patients under the age of 65 were excluded. We compared the data of hemodynamic response and RPE during exercise on the last day before interruption and the first day after interruption when aerobic exercise was performed at the same exercise intensity in the gardener group and the non-gardener group. Forty-one patients were enrolled in the final analysis. After CR interruption, the gardener group did not show any significant difference in all items, whereas the non-gardener group experienced significant increase in HR (Peak) (p = 0.004) and worsening of the Borg scale scores for both dyspnea and lower extremity fatigue (p = 0.039 and p = 0.009, respectively). Older phase 2 CR patients engaged in gardening did not show any deterioration in hemodynamic response or RPE during exercise, despite CR interruption and refraining from going outside. Gardening may be recommended as one of the activities that can maintain or improve physical function in older phase 2 CR patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Australia is currently grappling with a range of social and environmental challenges, many of which impact the way our public health system, and society more broadly, function. In this short communication paper we explore urban agriculture in Australia as a Nature-Based Solution (NBS) to address some of the ecological, social, economic and health challenges facing the continent. We argue that urban agriculture has the potential to mitigate the effects of climate change extremes while simultaneously providing multiple benefits such as improving wellbeing, people-nature connections, and food security. We present three exemplar case studies diverse in geography, context and governance from Queensland, Tasmania, and New South Wales exploring verge gardening, market gardening, and a community greening program respectively to highlight the benefits of urban agriculture as a NBS. We advocate that various forms of urban agriculture need to be researched and considered for their potential impacts and multiple benefits to be fully supported, governed, and understood in light of the social-ecological challenges Australian cities face.
Residential gardens make up 30% of urban space in the UK, yet unlike many other green space typologies, their role in the health and well-being agenda has largely been overlooked. A horticultural intervention introduced ornamental plants to 38 previously bare front gardens (≈ 10 m 2) within an economically deprived region of North England, UK. Measures of perceived stress and diurnal cortisol profiles (as an indicator of health status) were taken pre-and post-intervention (over 3 months). Residents reported significant decreases in perceived stress post-intervention. This finding was aligned with a higher proportion of 'healthy' diurnal cortisol patterns post-intervention, suggesting better health status in those individuals. All residents derived one or more reported socio-cultural benefits as a result of the front garden plantings, although overall scores for subjective well-being did not increase to a significant level. Further qualitative data suggested that the gardens were valued for enhancing relaxation, increasing positive emotions, motivation, and pride of place. The results indicate that adding even small quantities of ornamental plants to front gardens within deprived urban communities had a positive effect on an individual's stress regulation and some, but not all, aspects of subjective well-being. The research highlights the importance of residential front gardens to human health and well-being, and thus their contribution to the wider debates around city densification, natural capital and urban planning.
There is a renewed interest in urban gardening in the past decade stimulated by the increased awareness of benefits that it brings to the city, local communities, and individuals. Previous studies have shown different perspectives on urban food growing in the context of developed and developing countries, but less is known about the countries in transition in Southeast Europe. Specifically, no published research has coped with the perspectives of the possible future users of allotment and community gardens. This paper fills the gap to a certain extent by providing first insights into the demand for collective urban gardens in the city of Belgrade. There are no institutional tools at present to support the development of such gardens, although there has been an almost century-long process of advocating collective urban gardening among the experts in city planning. By looking into the possible future needs and motivations of the potential gardeners, specifically, those who are not involved in allotment or community gardening, this study also aims to contribute to the efforts made in the past. The survey was conducted among 300 randomly selected respondents in three municipalities in Belgrade. Data were analysed using factor analytic—multiple regression approach to establish correlations between personal characteristics of potential gardeners and their motivations for gardening. Results indicated a potentially high demand for collective urban gardens, with individual plots slightly preferred to shared gardens. Commonly mentioned motivations are access to healthy and fresh food followed by recreation and light physical activity. People with previous experience in agriculture or gardening are more willing to get involved. Older respondents seem to be more motivated by „subjective well-being“, specifically in terms of relaxation and pleasure from gardening. The results of the study could serve as an input for the regulation and planning of collective urban gardens, specifically considering the needs and motivations of the senior population in cities.
Research has found that natural environments within urban areas are associated with benefits for human health and wellbeing. However, most studies have primarily focused on publically accessible green space. Less is known about domestic gardens, which in the UK comprise a high proportion of land cover in urban areas and could form a resource for health promotion. This study analysed secondary data from the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey, a representative survey of the English population (n = 7,814). We investigated the relationships between garden access and use and: general health; evaluative and eudaimonic wellbeing; meeting physical activity guidelines; and visiting nature in the last week. Statistical models included a range of individual and area-level socio-demographic variables. Compared to no garden access, access to a private garden was associated with better evaluative wellbeing, and people with access to a private space such as a balcony, yard or patio were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines. Respondents who reported both gardening and using a garden to relax also reported better health and wellbeing, more physical activity, and more nature visits than those who did not. These findings indicate that domestic gardens are a potential health resource and are not necessarily substituted for by other natural environments, highlighting the importance of their provision alongside green space in urban policy and planning.
Gardens play a vital role in homemaking for many older people living in aged-care facilities. A garden is where residents can assert ownership, agency, and recall significant memories, especially after relocation in later life. This research addresses a gap in literature about aged-care gardens by expanding notions of therapeutic benefits. It adopts a phenomenological framework and applies unstructured interviews, Go-Along videorecording and digital storytelling for data collection. Findings suggest residents are not merely passive users of gardens, they are active creators, shaping their outdoor environment through gardening and creating meanings in their local landscape that contribute to their experience of being 'home'.
Within the context of increased urbanisation, the value of access to and participation in green spaces (such as community gardening) is progressively understood as fundamental to the social, cultural, environmental and health needs of urban populations. This article is an exploration of six urban community gardens in Melbourne (Australia) towards understanding the social capital stocks and other related factors like mutual support, social networks and community connections associated with these settings. This is the first Australian study to review social capital across community garden settings. Twenty-three participants were involved in this qualitative study, which utilised semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that community gardens are perceived as a place for social interaction and support, which enable connections and mutual benefits that enhance a sense of community. Members identified factors reducing social capital stocks like exclusion, lack of support and vandalism. Although this study identified social capital benefits of community gardening, it was difficult to differentiate between bridging, bonding and linking social capital. Therefore, although some recommendations could be garnered from this study to enhance socially-desirable outcomes, more compelling research is required to make informed policy change around enhancing social capital and community gardening.
Cities across the world increasingly reflect the ethno-cultural diversity of a globalized society. How people interact with, and experience urban nature varies with the form, structure, and function of the space, but also with peoples’ ethno-cultural identity. In this study, we investigated the values that gardeners and park users of different ethno-cultural identities associate with urban community gardens, parks and trees and the well-being benefits that they derive from them in Melbourne, Australia. We collected data from park users, and gardeners using intercept questionnaires with open-ended questions about motivations to garden and the importance of parks and trees to understand values, and standardized metrics on personal well-being to understand well-being benefits. The results show that gardeners and park users of different ethno-cultural identities than Australian and European, derived from the country of birth, language spoken, and region of origin, associate different motivations, importance, and well-being benefits to these different urban nature spaces. Community gardens provide food and a strong sense of community and security, particularly for gardeners that speak English as a second language. For these ethno-culturally diverse people, urban parks, like community gardens, are associated with sociocultural and psychological importance, but also with aesthetic importance. Finally, and also for these diverse people, urban trees are associated with aesthetic, naturalness and biodiversity importance rather than sociocultural importance. The results highlight that people involved in the planning and design of urban nature spaces should consider the many values associated with and benefits derived from different types of spaces for multicultural cities.
Nature interaction is seen as a potentially inexpensive intervention to address many health issues. Aging is associated with declining health and mobility. Older people are known to benefit from nature contact; however, less is known about how aging limits access to nature. We investigated older adults occupying family, downsized, and rest homes to determine factors driving changes in nature engagement, and the quality of available nature. Less time was spent in natural places as people aged, depending on the extent of nature connectedness, frailty status, home type, and whether they lived alone or not. Most reported reduced nature engagement and expressed feelings of sadness, frustration, and anger. Gardens assumed an important role in enabling nature contact to continue, in that time spent in gardens was unrelated to age or frailty. Garden variability meant the quality of the nature experience was likely lower for those living in downsized and rest homes.
Importance
Approximately 80% of US adults and adolescents are insufficiently active. Physical activity fosters normal growth and development and can make people feel, function, and sleep better and reduce risk of many chronic diseases.
Objective
To summarize key guidelines in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (PAG).
Process and Evidence Synthesis
The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee conducted a systematic review of the science supporting physical activity and health. The committee addressed 38 questions and 104 subquestions and graded the evidence based on consistency and quality of the research. Evidence graded as strong or moderate was the basis of the key guidelines. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) based the PAG on the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report.
Recommendations
The PAG provides information and guidance on the types and amounts of physical activity to improve a variety of health outcomes for multiple population groups. Preschool-aged children (3 through 5 years) should be physically active throughout the day to enhance growth and development. Children and adolescents aged 6 through 17 years should do 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. Adults should do at least 150 minutes to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes to 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. They should also do muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week. Older adults should do multicomponent physical activity that includes balance training as well as aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Pregnant and postpartum women should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week. Adults with chronic conditions or disabilities, who are able, should follow the key guidelines for adults and do both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Recommendations emphasize that moving more and sitting less will benefit nearly everyone. Individuals performing the least physical activity benefit most by even modest increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Additional benefits occur with more physical activity. Both aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity are beneficial.
Conclusions and Relevance
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, provides information and guidance on the types and amounts of physical activity that provide substantial health benefits. Health professionals and policy makers should facilitate awareness of the guidelines and promote the health benefits of physical activity and support efforts to implement programs, practices, and policies to facilitate increased physical activity and to improve the health of the US population.
An understanding of physical activity attitudes, preferences, and experiences in older adults is important for informing interventions. Focus groups were conducted with 46 regionally-based Australian adults aged 65 years and older who were not currently meeting activity recommendations. Content analysis revealed that participants mainly engaged in incidental activities such as gardening and household chores rather than planned exercise; however, leisure time walking was also mentioned frequently. While participants valued the physical and mental health benefits of physical activity, they reported being restricted by poor physical health, extreme weather and fear of injury. Participants were interested in exercise groups and physical activity programs tailored to their existing physical health. The majority of participants reported preferring to be active with others. The findings from this study are useful in for informing future interventions specifically tailored to the needs of older adults in Australia.
BACKGROUND
The current study assessed the feasibility of a mentored home‐based vegetable gardening intervention and examined changes in health‐related outcomes among breast cancer survivors (BCS).
METHODS
BCS were randomized to either a year‐long vegetable gardening intervention to begin immediately or a wait‐list control. Master Gardeners mentored participants in planning, planting, and maintaining 3 seasonal gardens over the course of 1 year. Participant accrual, retention, and satisfaction rates of ≥80% served as feasibility (primary outcome) benchmarks. Secondary outcomes (ie, vegetable consumption, physical activity, performance and function, anthropometrics, biomarkers, and health‐related quality of life) were collected at baseline and post‐intervention (1‐year follow‐up) using subjective and objective measures.
RESULTS
The trial surpassed all feasibility benchmarks at 82% of targeted accrual, 95% retention, and 100% satisfaction (ie, experience ratings of “good to excellent” and willingness to “do it again”). Compared with the controls, intervention participants reported significantly greater improvements in moderate physical activity (+14 vs ‐17 minutes/week) and demonstrated improvements in the 2‐Minute Step Test (+22 vs + 10 steps), and Arm Curl (+2.7 vs + 0.1 repetitions) (P values < .05). A trend toward improved vegetable consumption was observed (+0.9 vs + 0.2 servings/day; P = .06). Approximately 86% of participants were continuing to garden at the 2‐year follow‐up.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of the current study suggest that a mentored, home‐based vegetable gardening intervention is feasible and offers an integrative and durable approach with which to improve health behaviors and outcomes among BCS. Harvest for Health led to the establishment of a group of trained Master Gardeners and gave rise to local and global community‐based programs. Larger studies are needed to confirm the results presented herein and to define applicability across broader populations of survivors. Cancer 2018. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
Urban green spaces (UGS) are increasingly acknowledged for their importance for the well-being of urban populations.
However, studies are lacking the consideration of the demand and use of UGS by different population
groups and connecting UGS with social infrastructure. In an era of worldwide urbanization and ageing, this
European study sheds light on the role of UGS for care facilities for elderly. 126 care facilities from 17 cities in
Austria, Germany, Norway, Poland, Romania and Slovenia took part in an online survey. Administrations of care
facilities gave insights on the (1) importance of gardens related to care facilities for the quality of life for the
seniors, (2) importance of UGS outside of care facilities for the quality of life for the seniors and (3) the consideration
of natural and age-friendly designs and management of ecosystem disservices of UGS. The results
emphasize not only the importance of UGS for the quality of life of seniors residing in care facilities, but also for
the staff and visitors. UGS contribute to physical activities, recreation, and social interactions. The study found
that in particular facilities with an own garden are highly aware of the benefits UGS provide. The study holds
important lessons for UGS planning, management and design not only to focus on the quantitative supply of
UGS, but also to consider age-sensitive amenities in and access to UGS of high quality for seniors.
Activities such as gardening are fast becoming acknowledged as a much desired health management strategy in later life. However, few studies have examined gardening as a serious leisure pursuit. The aim of this study was to apply the concept of serious leisure to the context of leisure gardening by older adults in Australia. Casual, participant and devotee gardeners were compared with respect to the relative importance of the characteristics of serious leisure, using self-administered questionnaires (n = 514). Findings indicated that characteristics of serious leisure varied significantly across the three groups. The most powerful discriminating characteristics were Identity, Unique Ethos and Significant Effort; with Identity particularly important for devotee gardeners. The deeper the level of engagement, the more gardening was perceived as contributing to overall life satisfaction. Findings indicated that gardening could be a serious leisure pursuit that assists in the development of a positive leisure identity and contributes to a more mobile and active life for older adults.
Objective:
The aim of the current study was to determine the impact of school gardens on student eating behaviors, physical activity and BMI in New Zealand secondary schools. The current study also aimed to determine if school gardens could buffer the association between household poverty and adolescent BMI.
Methods:
Data were drawn from a national study of the health and wellbeing of New Zealand secondary school students (n=8500) conducted in 2012. Multilevel regression models were used to determine the association between school gardens (school-level) and student nutrition behaviors, physical activity and measured BMI (student-level).
Results:
Approximately half of secondary schools had a fruit/vegetable garden for students to participate in. School gardens were associated with lower student BMI (p=0.01) and lower prevalence of overweight (p<0.01).
Conclusions:
School gardens appear to have a positive impact on student health. Future research may explore how school gardens are implemented to better understand their impact and to extend the benefits beyond the school community.
Older adults are particularly vulnerable to disease and health decline. Gardening is an effective intervention that can be used to improve health and wellness in seniors. In addition to meeting the six Institute of Medicine aims for improvement, this economically sound, nonpharmacologic intervention can be used to treat health conditions common to elders, decrease the incidence of obesity and sedentary lifestyle, and improve successful aging all while decreasing the cost of health care.
Place-based programs are being noticed as key opportunities to prevent disease and promote public health and safety for populations at-large. As one key type of place-based intervention, nature-based and green space strategies can play an especially large role in improving health and safety for dwellers in urban environments such as US legacy cities that lack nature and greenery. In this paper, we describe the current understanding of place-based influences on public health and safety. We focus on nonchemical environmental factors, many of which are related to urban abandonment and blight. We then review findings from studies of nature-based interventions regarding impacts on health, perceptions of safety, and crime. Based on our findings, we suggest that further research in this area will require (1) refined measures of green space, nature, and health and safety for cities, (2) interdisciplinary science and cross-sector policy collaboration, (3) observational studies as well as randomized controlled experiments and natural experiments using appropriate spatial counterfactuals and mixed methods, and (4) return-on-investment calculations of potential economic, social, and health costs and benefits of urban greening initiatives.
Previous research has suggested that gardening activity could be an effective form of regular exercise for improving physical and psychological health in later life. However, there is a lack of data regarding the exercise intensities of various gardening tasks across different types of gardening and different populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the exercise intensity of gardening activity for older adult allotment gardeners in Wales, UK following a similar procedure used in previous studies conducted in the USA and South Korea by Park and colleagues (2008a; 2011). Oxygen consumption (VO2) and energy expenditure for six gardening tasks were measured via indirect calorimetery using the portable Oxycon™ mobile device. From these measures, estimated metabolic equivalent units (METs) were calculated. Consistent with Park et al. (2008a; 2011) the six gardening tasks were classified as low to moderate-high intensity physical activities based on their metabolic values (1.9 - 5.7 METs).
Objectives:
We examined the association of participation in community gardening with healthy body weight.
Methods:
We examined body mass index (BMI) data from 198 community gardening participants in Salt Lake City, Utah, in relationship to BMI data for 3 comparison groups: neighbors, siblings, and spouses. In comparisons, we adjusted for gender, age, and the year of the BMI measurement.
Results:
Both women and men community gardeners had significantly lower BMIs than did their neighbors who were not in the community gardening program. The estimated BMI reductions in the multivariate analyses were -1.84 for women and -2.36 for men. We also observed significantly lower BMIs for women community gardeners compared with their sisters (-1.88) and men community gardeners compared with their brothers (-1.33). Community gardeners also had lower odds of being overweight or obese than did their otherwise similar neighbors.
Conclusions:
The health benefits of community gardening may go beyond enhancing the gardeners' intake of fruits and vegetables. Community gardens may be a valuable element of land use diversity that merits consideration by public health officials who want to identify neighborhood features that promote health.
The purpose of this study was to profile older adults who garden for pleasure and to analyze whether gardeners could be segmented into specific types based on their motivations for gardening. A mail survey which included the Leisure Motivation Scale (Beard & Ragheb, 1983) and socio-demographic and health-related questions was sent to all 499 volunteers-303 responded with usable data. The results indicated seven motivational factors for gardening: (1) intellectual, (2) stimulus-avoidance, (3) friendship building, (4) social interaction, (5) physical fitness, (6) skill-development, and (7) creativity. Significant differences among marital status, education and health status were found. Implications for recreation therapists, activity professionals, and leisure service providers are provided.
This study examines whether participation in gardening predicts reduced fall risk and performance on balance and gait-speed measures in older adults. Data on adults age 65 and older (N = 3,237) from the Health and Retirement Study and Consumption and Activities Mail Survey were analyzed. Participants who spent 1 hr or more gardening in the past week were defined as gardeners, resulting in a total of 1,585 gardeners and 1,652 nongardeners. Independent t tests, chi square, and regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between gardening and health outcomes. Findings indicate that gardeners reported significantly better balance and gait speed and had fewer chronic conditions and functional limitations than nongardeners. Significantly fewer gardeners than nongardeners reported a fall in the past 2 yr. The findings suggest that gardening may be a potential activity to incorporate into future fall-prevention programs.
We considered the relationship between an urban adult population's fruit and vegetable consumption and several selected social and psychological processes, beneficial aesthetic experiences, and garden participation.
We conducted a population-based survey representing 436 residents across 58 block groups in Denver, Colorado, from 2006 to 2007. We used multilevel statistical models to evaluate the survey data.
Neighborhood aesthetics, social involvement, and community garden participation were significantly associated with fruit and vegetable intake. Community gardeners consumed fruits and vegetables 5.7 times per day, compared with home gardeners (4.6 times per day) and nongardeners (3.9 times per day). Moreover, 56% of community gardeners met national recommendations to consume fruits and vegetables at least 5 times per day, compared with 37% of home gardeners and 25% of nongardeners.
Our study results shed light on neighborhood processes that affect food-related behaviors and provides insights about the potential of community gardens to affect these behaviors. The qualities intrinsic to community gardens make them a unique intervention that can narrow the divide between people and the places where food is grown and increase local opportunities to eat better.
Television viewing time, independent of leisure time physical activity, has cross-sectional relationships with the metabolic syndrome and its individual components. We examined whether baseline and 5-yr changes in self-reported television viewing time are associated with changes in continuous biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk (waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and a clustered cardiometabolic risk score) in Australian adults.
The Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab) is a prospective, population-based cohort study with biological, behavioral, and demographic measures collected in 1999-2000 and 2004-2005. Noninstitutionalized adults aged > or =25 yr were measured at baseline (11,247; 55% of those completing an initial household interview); 6400 took part in the 5-yr follow-up biomedical examination, and 3846 met the inclusion criteria for this analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis was used, and unstandardized B coefficients (95% confidence intervals (CI)) are provided.
Baseline television viewing time (10 h.wk-1 unit) was not significantly associated with change in any of the biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk. Increases in television viewing time over 5 yr (10 h.wk-1 unit) were associated with increases in waist circumference (men: 0.43 cm, 95% CI = 0.08-0.78 cm, P = 0.02; women: 0.68 cm, 95% CI = 0.30-1.05, P < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (women: 0.47 mm Hg, 95% CI = 0.02-0.92 mm Hg, P = 0.04), and the clustered cardiometabolic risk score (women: 0.03, 95% CI = 0.01-0.05, P = 0.007). These associations were independent of baseline television viewing time and baseline and change in physical activity and other potential confounders.
These findings indicate that an increase in television viewing time is associated with adverse cardiometabolic biomarker changes. Further prospective studies using objective measures of several sedentary behaviors are required to confirm causality of the associations found.
The Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab) addresses the urgent need for data on diabetes prevalence, risk factors and associated conditions in Australia. Here we describe the methods used and the response rates obtained. AusDiab was a population-based cross-sectional survey of national diabetes mellitus prevalence and associated risk factors in people aged > or =25 years, conducted between May 1999 and December 2000 in the six states and the Northern Territory of Australia. The study involved an initial household interview, followed by a biomedical examination that included an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), standard anthropometric tests, blood pressure measurements and the administration of questionnaires. Of the 20347 eligible people (aged > or =25 years and resident at the address for > or =6 months) who completed a household interview, 11247 (55.3%) attended for the biomedical examination. Of those who completed the biomedical examination 55.1% were female. Comparisons with the 1998 Australian population estimates showed that younger age responders were under-represented at the biomedical examination, while the middle-aged and older age groups were over-represented. Weighting of the AusDiab data for age and gender have corrected for this bias. AusDiab, which is the largest national diabetes prevalence study undertaken in a developed nation to have used an OGTT, provides a valuable national resource for the study of the prevalence and possible causes of diabetes, as well as identifying possible risk factors that may lead to diabetes. Furthermore, it generates the baseline data for a prospective 5-year cohort study. The data will be important for national and regional public health and lifestyle education and health promotion programs.
Why do older adults garden? Activities Adaptation & Aging
- C Ashton-Shaeffer
- A Constant
Ashton-Shaeffer, C., & Constant, A. (2006). Why do older adults garden?
Activities Adaptation & Aging, 30(2), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1300/
j016v30n02_01
Physical activity attitudes, preferences, and experiences of regionallybased Australia adults aged 65 years and older
- P K Samra
- A L Rebar
- L Parkinson
- J G Z Van Uffelen
- S Schoeppe
- D Power
- A Schneiders
- C Vandelanotte
Samra, P.K., Rebar, A.L., Parkinson, L., van Uffelen, J.G.Z., Schoeppe, S.,
Power, D., Schneiders, A., Vandelanotte, C., : : : Alley, S. (2019).
Physical activity attitudes, preferences, and experiences of regionallybased Australia adults aged 65 years and older. Journal of Aging and
Physical Activity, 27(4), 446-451. https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2017-0426