Effects of Gardening Activities on the Health of Disabled Individuals

Effects of Gardening on Disabled Individuals

Abstract

Disability is an important issue worldwide and the number of disabled people is increasing day by day. Individual and environmental factors affecting the community participation of disabled individuals may cause a decrease in their quality of life. This situation increases the need for intervention methods that can be applied to facilitate the lives of disabled individuals. Gardening activities are one of the activities used to support the health of individuals with disabilities. This review article was conducted to examine the effects of gardening activities on the health of disabled individuals. Gardening activities provide positive effects on protecting, developing and improving the health of individuals with disabilities by providing cost-effective and low-risk activities. Various activities such as sowing, planting, digging and harvesting in gardening activities contribute to the development of physical functions of disabled individuals. Gardening activities increase the physical capacity of disabled individuals, especially by encouraging the development of motor skills and muscle functions. These activities are also effective in stress management and positively affect the mental health of the participants. In addition, disabled individuals participating in gardening activities can become more socially active by interacting with other individuals. It is very important for public health nurses to make plans, carry out practices and cooperate with various professional groups and organisations about the participation of disabled individuals in gardening activities that can provide positive effects on their health. In this context, gardening activities are an effective method in protecting, developing and improving the physical, mental and social health of disabled individuals.