What evidence is there to support the impact of gardens on health outcomes? A systematic scoping review of the evidence

Howarth, ML; Brettle, AJ; Hardman, M; Maden, M

Abstract

According to the World Health Organisation Global
Health Observatory (2017), non-communicable diseases
(NCD’s) present a significant cause of death through
cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions and type
2 diabetes. The impact of NCDs on health and social
care is estimated to outstrip service provision and the
drive to promote health and well-being to tackle the key
causes of NCD’s is at the vanguard of UK, European and
global health care policy. There is a need for health and
social care commissioners to examine and commission
new treatment interventions that can offer multipurpose
interventions for people in the community with LTC and
co-morbid conditions. It is claimed that nature based
activities, such as therapeutic horticulture or gardening
activity, can improve health and wellbeing for a range
of people with long-term conditions. Nature Based
Activities have been defined as ‘an intervention with the
aim to treat, hasten recovery, and/or rehabilitate patients
with a disease or a condition of ill health, with the
fundamental principle that the therapy involves plants,
natural materials, and/or outdoor environment, without
any therapeutic involvement of extra human mammals
or other living creatures’ (Annerstedt & Währborg 2011).
This includes, amongst other activities, gardens as a
nature based activity that encourages individuals to
engage with, observe or access.

This review has located and described research evidence
that has reported on the impact of gardens on physical,
mental, health and well being. A systematic approach
was used to scope the evidence base across a range of
data bases and external sources. The review reports on
the following:
- How gardens can improve physical, mental, health and
wellbeing outcomes
- A ‘map’ of the literature in relation to the benefits for particular
conditions , types of garden, and health outcomes
- The gaps in the literature in relation to particular conditions,
garden types and health outcomes
- Gardens as an intervention within the social prescribing
movement
- Infographics and a logic models, which capture the data in a
simple way. These can be used to inform the future development
of the RHS therapeutic garden and for organisations
interested in green care or nature-based activities

This report has provided an overview of the evidence for
gardens as an intervention that could promote health and
wellbeing in a range of populations. This has significance
for public health and health care as there is a precedence
to explore alternative methods of service provision.
The findings from this review report on the impact
of gardens and gardening on four key areas: Mental
Health, Dementia, Wellbeing, Specific Conditions using
Physiological Outcome Measures and Nutrition. The
review evidence indicated that nature based activities
such as gardens (in the range of formats) can help
social inclusion, self-esteem and perceived wellbeing.
Although the methodologies and interventions varied,
the evidence base overwhelming supported the use of
gardens as an activity that could promote wellbeing.
Moreover, these activities were reflected in the Bragg et
al (2016) Green Framework which suggests that gardens
positively impact on people through everyday life such as
home gardening, health promotion through nature based
activates such as digging and community gardening
through to and green care that uses more structured approaches for people with defined needs.

Citation

Howarth, M., Brettle, A., Hardman, M., & Maden, M. (2017). What evidence is there to support the impact of gardens on health outcomes? A systematic scoping review of the evidence

• Report Type: Project Report
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: Jun 8, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9781912337118
• Publisher URL: https://www.salford.ac.uk/research/care/research-groups/shusu