Biopsychosocial Effects of Gardening Activities

NCT ID: NCT06844084

Last Updated: 2025-02-25

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 42 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-03-03
• Study Completion Date: 2025-08-01

Brief Summary

Due to the increasing number of elderly population worldwide, elderly care is becoming increasingly important and the number of elderly in institutional care is increasing. In this context, the implementation of easily applicable, cost-effective and accessible physical activity programmes for the elderly in nursing homes is important for the physical, mental and social health of the elderly. Gardening activities are a non-pharmacological intervention that has recently increased in popularity in the elderly and can be easily applied. It is known that gardening activities in the elderly affect some biochemical parameters along with mental health effects and reduce stress, especially by reducing cortisol levels. By providing physical mobility in the elderly with gardening activities, there may be an increase in irisin level and BDNF level, which is an indicator of improvement in cognitive functions, and a decrease in cortisol level, which is an indicator of stress. With the project, the effects of gardening activities on the elderly will be examined comprehensively in a biopsychosocial manner. In this project, the effects of gardening activities on anxiety, depression, life satisfaction, psychological well-being and biochemical parameters will be examined in the elderly living in a nursing home. In the project, gardening activities will be applied to the elderly in the experimental group once a week for 60 minutes for 16 weeks (4 months). With the project, it is aimed to strengthen the elderly biopsychosocially by making them do gardening activities.

Detailed Description

Improvement of living conditions, development of health services and technology lead to prolonged life expectancy and accordingly, the number of elderly population is gradually increasing. For this reason, elderly care is becoming increasingly important and the number of elderly in institutional care is increasing. The elderly in nursing homes may experience many physical, mental and social problems. The elderly in nursing homes may experience problems such as decreased self-esteem, increased dependency in daily living activities, chronic diseases, fear of death, lack of social support, cognitive deficiencies, anxiety due to environmental and lifestyle changes, depression and lack of life satisfaction. In this context, the implementation of easily applicable, cost-effective and accessible physical activity programmes for the elderly in nursing homes is important for the physical, mental and social health of the elderly. Gardening activities are a non-pharmacological intervention that has recently increased in popularity in the elderly and can be easily applied. Gardening activities positively affect the sense of commitment and success, self-expression, social interaction, sense of responsibility, self-esteem, cognitive skills and creativity in the elderly. It is known that gardening activities in the elderly affect some biochemical parameters along with mental health effects and reduce stress, especially by reducing cortisol levels. By providing physical mobility in the elderly with gardening activities, there may be an increase in irisin level and BDNF level, which is an indicator of improvement in cognitive functions, and a decrease in cortisol level, which is an indicator of stress. In the literature, it is seen that studies examining the effects of gardening activities on the health of the elderly have been carried out, but the studies on this subject in our country are very limited. With the project, for the first time in our country, the effects of gardening activities on the elderly will be examined comprehensively in a biopsychosocial manner. In this project, the effects of gardening activities on anxiety, depression, life satisfaction, psychological well-being and biochemical parameters will be examined in the elderly living in a nursing home. In the project, gardening activities will be applied to the elderly in the experimental group once a week for 60 minutes for 16 weeks (4 months). With the project, it is aimed to strengthen the elderly biopsychosocially by making them do gardening activities.

Conditions

Cognition; Anxiety; Depression; Life Satisfaction; Psychological Well Being

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Experimental Group

In the project, gardening activities will be applied to the participants in the experimental group once a week for 60 minutes for 16 weeks (4 months) in a nursing home and greenhouse. In the project, the elderly will be informed about gardening activities in the nursing home. The applications will be carried out in the greenhouse.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Gardening Activity

Intervention Type: OTHER

In the project, gardening activities will be applied to the participants in the experimental group in the nursing home and greenhouse for 16 weeks (4 months), once a week for 60 minutes. During the implementation phase of horticulture activities, information meetings will be held in the meeting room of the nursing home in one group. In addition, 20 minutes break will be given during the activity in terms of the tolerance of the elderly to gardening activities.

Control Group

Participants in the control group will not receive any intervention during the study. They will participate in routine activities in the nursing home (crafts such as philography, relief, knitting, and folk dances and bocce games in the atelier). After the final tests are administered in the study, participants in the control group will be engaged in gardening activities for 60 minutes once a week for 4 weeks (1 month) (this period was determined by taking the project duration into account).

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Gardening Activity

In the project, gardening activities will be applied to the participants in the experimental group in the nursing home and greenhouse for 16 weeks (4 months), once a week for 60 minutes. During the implementation phase of horticulture activities, information meetings will be held in the meeting room of the nursing home in one group. In addition, 20 minutes break will be given during the activity in terms of the tolerance of the elderly to gardening activities.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Elderly people who have been living in a nursing home for at least 6 months,
• Elderly people with a mini mental test score of 24 and above,
• Elderly people who do not have vision or hearing loss that may prevent gardening activities,
• Elderly people who are open to communication and cooperation and who volunteer to participate in the study will be included in the study.

Exclusion Criteria

• Elderly people with physical (such as stroke, Parkinson's) and psychiatric diseases (such as mental retardation) that may prevent gardening activities,
• Elderly people with chronic diseases in the exacerbation process (heart failure, chronic renal failure, etc.) will be excluded from the study.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Ordu University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Hacer Gok Ugur

Asos.Prof.

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Central Contacts

Hacer Gök Uğur, Asos. Prof.

Role: CONTACT

hacer32@gmail.com

+90 452 2265200 ext. 6432

Other Identifiers

OrduBAP

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id