RESEARCH
Are Community Gardening and Horticultural Interventions Beneficial for Psychosocial Well-Being? A Meta-Analysis
Summary
This meta-analysis investigates the impact of community gardening and horticultural interventions on psychosocial well-being, including social cohesion, networking, and support. Researchers aimed to determine if these activities improve psychosocial outcomes, differ across cultures (individualistic vs. collectivistic), and vary between community gardening and horticultural therapy. The methodology involved a systematic review of literature from 1975 to 2019, adhering to PRISMA guidelines. From 383 records, seven quantitative studies with experimental manipulation were selected, yielding 22 effect sizes. Data extraction included sample sizes, means, and standard deviations, analyzed using the “meta” package in R.
The findings reveal a positive, moderate effect of gardening and horticultural interventions on psychosocial well-being. Moderation analysis indicated a larger impact in individualistic cultures and community gardening settings. However, the analysis also detected publication bias and study heterogeneity, suggesting the need for more rigorous, high-quality quantitative research. While qualitative studies abound, experimental designs are lacking. The study concludes that gardening holds promising implications for human health, community development, and sustainable city management, warranting further investigation to strengthen the evidence base and inform practical applications.
