title: Health Benefits of Urban Allotment Gardening: Improved Physical and Psychological Well-Being and Social Integration.
abstract: With an ever-increasing urban population, promoting public health and well-being in towns and cities is a major challenge. Previous research has suggested that participating in allotment gardening delivers a wide range of health benefits. However, evidence from quantitative analyses is still scarce. Here, we quantify the effects, if any, of participating in allotment gardening on physical, psychological and social health. A questionnaire survey of 332 people was performed in Tokyo, Japan. We compared five self-reported health outcomes between allotment gardeners and non-gardener controls: perceived general health, subjective health complaints, body mass index (BMI), mental health and social cohesion. Accounting for socio-demographic and lifestyle variables, regression models revealed that allotment gardeners, compared to non-gardeners, reported better perceived general health, subjective health complaints, mental health and social cohesion. BMI did not differ between gardeners and non-gardeners. Neither frequency nor duration of gardening significantly influenced reported health outcomes. Our results highlight that regular gardening on allotment sites is associated with improved physical, psychological and social health. With the recent escalation in the prevalence of chronic diseases, and associated healthcare costs, this study has a major implication for policy, as it suggests that urban allotments have great potential for preventative healthcare.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urban Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan. masashi.soga.mail@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soga
authors.affiliation: Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK. D.T.C.Cox@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Daniel T C
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Forestry and Forest Product Research Institute, Matsunosato 1, Tsukuba 305-8687, Japan. yamaura@ffpri.affrc.go.jp.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaura
authors.affiliation: Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK. K.J.Gaston@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Gaston
authors.affiliation: Department of Urban Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan. kiyo@env.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kiyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurisu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urban Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan. hanaki@env.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanaki
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002947:Cities; D003710:Demography; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D051639:Gardening / Q000379:methods*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report; D012931:Social Environment; D014041:Tokyo; D014504:Urban Health; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: agriculture; community health; ecosystem services; extinction of experience; green infrastructure; health promotion; nature experiences; urban greenspace; urbanisation; well-being