Spending time in the garden good for health and wellbeing, study suggests
The findings are based on an analysis of the data gathered from more than 7,000 people.
Spending time in the garden may be beneficial for overall health and psychological well-being, according to a new study.
These benefits apply to people who are gardening or even simply relaxing, researchers say.
The findings are based on an analysis of data gathered from more than 7,000 people as part of a survey by Natural England.
The research, published in Elsevier’s Landscape and Urban Planning journal, found that people who spend time in the garden are far more likely to report general good health, higher psychological well-being and greater physical activity levels than those who do not spend time in the garden.
Dr Sian de Bell, of the University of Exeter Medical School and lead author on the study, said: “Our findings suggest that, whilst being able to access an outdoor space such as a garden or yard is important, using that space is what really leads to benefits for health and well-being.”
She said their study is one of the largest to date to analyse the health benefits of gardens and gardening specifically.
The researchers looked at data collected between 2009 and 2016 from 7,814 people from the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey, which gathers data on people’s weekly contact with the natural world.
They found that, compared with no garden access, access to a private garden was associated with higher psychological well-being.
They also found that people with access to a private outdoor space such as a balcony, yard or patio were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines.
The authors wrote in the paper: “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.”
In addition, the team found that people who regularly spend time in their garden were also more likely to visit nature elsewhere once a week.
Professor Alistair Griffiths, director of science and collections at the Royal Horticultural Society and co-author on the paper, said: “This work adds to the increasing body of scientific evidence on the health benefits of gardens and gardening.
“As the current Covid crisis has demonstrated, there’s an urgent need to include the provision of private gardens in the planning process to better support the UK’s preventative health agenda and the well-being of our nation.”
