Improving student health through horticultural the

1ImprovingstudenthealththroughhorticulturaltherapyandschoolgardenestablishmentYu-JenKuoAbstractInTaiwan,elementaryschoolsthatincludealternativeprogramsasplantcareareseldomandparticipatinginhorticulturalactivitiesisnotencouraged.Horticulturaltherapy(HT)usesplantsandhorticulturalactivitiestopromotewell-beingbyimprovingpsychophysiologicalhealth.Thisinvestigationappliedhorticulturaltherapytheorytodesigna“GreenKidClub”activityandestablishagardenatYang-MingShanelementaryschoolinTaipei.Thehorticulturalactivitiescreatedahealthierschoolcampusandthe“GreenKidClub”boughtnumerousbenefitsforparticipatingstudents.Twenty-threestudentsrangingfrom9to12yearsofage(gradethirdtosixthgrades)wererecruitedtoparticipateinthestudyduringthefallsemesterof2003.Theresultsofthisinvestigationindicatedthatschoolhorticulturaltherapyprogramdisplayedpositivelyaffectedchildlearning,andmoreoverthechildreninvolvedmadehealthierfoodchoices,andachievedbetterpsychophysiologicalgrowth.Moreover,thisworkdemonstratedthatsimpleexposuretoafoodhelpsimprovechildperceptionsofthatfood.Significantdifferencesalsowerefoundbetweenthepre-testandpost-testscoresintermsofimprovinghorticulturalknowledgeandskills,environmentalrecognition,andcreativityaftercompletingthehorticulturalactivityprogram.Theresultsofthisstudyrevealedenormouspotentialforimprovingchildlearningandhealththroughhorticulturalactivitiesandschoolgardenestablishment.Keywords:Horticulturaltherapy,schoolgarden,GreenKidClub1.AssociateProfessor,DepartmentofLandscapeArchitecture,ChineseCultureUniversity,55,Hwa-KenRd,Taipei,Taiwan,ROC.e-mail:[e-mail];Correspondingauthor.2.Researchassistant,DepartmentofLandscapeArchitecture,ChineseCultureUniversity.2IntroductionHorticulturalTherapy(HT)usesplantsandhorticulturalactivitiestopromotewell-beingbyenhancingindividualpsychophysiologicalhealth(Davis,1995;UlrichandParsons,1992).Adaptedtools,materials,andspeciallydesignedgardenshelppromoteeffectivetherapy(Catlin,1995;Haller,1995).EffectiveHTprogramplanningrequiresagoodunderstandingoftheindividualgoalsandobjectivesofparticipants(Davis,1995;Flagler,1992).Unfortunately,mostTaiwaneseyouthhavelimitedinteractionwithnature.Horticulturaltherapyisaprocessusingplantsandhorticulturalactivitiestoimprovethesocial,educational,psychologicalandphysicalbenefitsoftrainedclients.Ithasalsoproventobebeneficialforyoungerkids(Kavanagh,1995).Plantsprovideapositivephysicalsurroundingwhereitprovidesmorecomfortabletoliveandwork.Thethreeprimaryinteractivequalitiesofhorticulturalplantscanbecategorizedassensory,functional,andresponsiverelationship.Usingplantstostimulatefivesensesprovideagoodtherapeuticprogramforthosedisabledpeople(Relf,1995).Theapplicationofhorticultureactivitiesincludingsexualandvegetativepropagationandfloraldesignweredemonstrated.Schoolgardenswerefirstdevelopedintheearly1900s.Thesegardensallowedstudentstostudynature,learnworkhabitsanddevelopsocially(Beechetal.,1999).Schoolgardensenrichchildeducationandcanstimulatetheirinterestinvariousways(Shannonetal.,1981).Particularly,schoolgardenscaneducatechildrenaboutfood(Baxteretal.,2001).Childrentendtofavorsweetsandsaltysnacksovervegetablesandfruits(Nobeletal.,2000).Parentsthusgenerallyshouldencouragetheirchildrentoeatmorerawvegetableswhilemaintaininganormaldietoffruits,grains,andproteinrichfoods.Manyworkshavedemonstratedthatstudentsbecomeextremelyinterestedinnutritioniftheyaregiventheopportunitytogrowtheirownproducefromseed,nurtureit,andfinallyconsumeitstraightfromthegarden(Lineberger,1999).AlthoughHTisusedbyhealthcarefacilities,communityagencies,schools,nursinghomes,correctionalfacilities,andvocationalprogramsallovertheworld,littleinformationisavailableonhorticulturaltherapyanditsapplicationtochildreninTaiwan.Thisstudythusassessedtheeffectofgardeningonhorticulturalskills,nutritionalattitudes,andrelatedbehaviorsofTaiwanesechildren.3MaterialsandMethodsThestudydesigninvolvedthreehorticulturalactivitiesfortheparticipatingchildrenincluding(1)trainingthehorticulturalskillsandimprovingthehorticulturalknowledge,includingplantpropagation,vegetablecultivation,(2)vegetablecultivationandsaladmakingforimprovingnutritionalattitude,and(3)schoolgardenestablishment,forimprovingenvironmentalrecognitionandpsychophysiologicalhealth.Twentythreestudentsrangingfrom9to12yearsofage(gradesthreetosix)fromYang-MingShanelementaryschoolinTaipei,acitywherethegreenspacearefewforchildren,wererecruitedtoparticipateinthestudyduringthefallsemesterof2003.Specifically,thestudentsengagedina“GreenKidsClub”activityinanoutdoorhorticulturalgardenoranindoorclassroomeveryotherTuesdaymorningbetweeneightthirtyandtenp.m.for8weeks.Dependingonhorticulturaltrainingprogramandvariousobjectives,studentsneededtocompleteapre-testbeforetheclassbegan,andthencompletedpost-testinvolvingsurveyquestionnairesattheendoftheindividualdesignedhorticulturalprogram.Table1liststhetherapeuticobjectivesandhorticulturalactivitiesusedinthisinvestigation.Studentsalsoneededtohelpschoolgardenestablishmentattheendofregularclasseachtime.Schoolgarden