A Comparison Study On The Health Benefits Of Different Horticultural Activities On The Elderly

Horticultural therapy has become the focus of international research in recent years.With the increase of the elderly population and the rising of health care concept,the need to apply the concept of horticultural therapy to different fields is increasing.However,there is still a lack of experimental basic research on horticultural therapy for the elderly in China.In this paper,three experiments will be conducted to explore the health benefits of different horticultural activities on the elderly,the health benefits of different steps in horticultural activities on the elderly,and the health benefits of different plant materials on the elderly.The results will serve as a reference for future horticultural therapy activities arrangementThe results show that the health benefits of different activities are different.Sowing has significant effects on emotion condition,while flower arranging is more effective than other activities in increasing positive emotions,alleviating stress and anxiety response.The factors affecting the health benefits of activities include the contents of steps,the materials and the meaning of activities.Different steps in the activities will bring participants different physical and mental benefits,sensory contact with plants while introducing materials can lower the participants’ stress and anxiety levels,while the operation part can relieve fatigue and depression,concentration and other effects.Using flower as materials has a strong effect on emotion condition,and using green plants as materials can stabilize participants’ heart rate.With special themes or meanings in the activities,participants will be inspired to think and to set their imaginations free,so the physical and psychological benefits of the activities could last longer.The results above can provide a reference for future horticultural therapy arrangements for the elderly.To choose the type of activities or to decide the length of additional steps according to the conditions and needs of the participants.Also,the experimental methods and indicators used in this study can also provide a reference for future research on the elderly or horticultural therapy.In addition,this study found that there was no statistical difference in the effects of sensory exposure to plant materials.It was speculated that the effects of different plant materials on horticultural activities might exist in other steps of activities.Also,some physical and psychological reactions of patients with cardiovascular diseases in horticultural activities were different from those of patients without diseases,and mainly reflected in ECG indicators.It is suggested that these two findings can be further studied in the future.