Alterra Wageningen UR, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Environ Health. 2010 Nov 23;9:74. doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-9-74.
The potential contribution of allotment gardens to a healthy and active life-style is increasingly recognized, especially for elderly populations. However, few studies have empirically examined beneficial effects of allotment gardening. In the present study the health, well-being and physical activity of older and younger allotment gardeners was compared to that of controls without an allotment.
A survey was conducted among 121 members of 12 allotment sites in the Netherlands and a control group of 63 respondents without an allotment garden living next to the home addresses of allotment gardeners. The survey included five self-reported health measures (perceived general health, acute health complaints, physical constraints, chronic illnesses, and consultations with GP), four self-reported well-being measures (stress, life satisfaction, loneliness, and social contacts with friends) and one measure assessing self-reported levels of physical activity in summer. Respondents were divided into a younger and older group at the median of 62 years which equals the average retirement age in the Netherlands.
After adjusting for income, education level, gender, stressful life events, physical activity in winter, and access to a garden at home as covariates, both younger and older allotment gardeners reported higher levels of physical activity during the summer than neighbors in corresponding age categories. The impacts of allotment gardening on health and well-being were moderated by age. Allotment gardeners of 62 years and older scored significantly or marginally better on all measures of health and well-being than neighbors in the same age category. Health and well-being of younger allotment gardeners did not differ from younger neighbors. The greater health and well-being benefits of allotment gardening for older gardeners may be related to the finding that older allotment gardeners were more oriented towards gardening and being active, and less towards passive relaxation.
These findings are consistent with the notion that having an allotment garden may promote an active life-style and contribute to healthy aging. However, the findings may be limited by self selection and additional research is needed to confirm and extend the current findings.
分配花园对健康和积极生活方式的潜在贡献越来越受到认可，尤其是对于老年人群体。然而，很少有研究从实证角度研究分配园艺的有益效果。本研究比较了老年和年轻的分配园艺者的健康、幸福感和身体活动水平，以及没有分配花园的对照组。
在荷兰的 12 个分配地的 121 名成员和一个没有分配花园的对照组（居住在分配花园园丁家庭地址旁边）中进行了一项调查。调查包括五个自我报告的健康指标（感知的一般健康状况、急性健康投诉、身体限制、慢性疾病和与全科医生的咨询）、四个自我报告的幸福感指标（压力、生活满意度、孤独感和与朋友的社会联系）和一个评估夏季自我报告身体活动水平的指标。受访者按中位数 62 岁分为年轻组和老年组，这相当于荷兰的平均退休年龄。
在调整了收入、教育水平、性别、压力生活事件、冬季身体活动以及作为协变量的家中花园的可及性后，年轻和老年分配园艺者在夏季的身体活动水平均高于相应年龄类别的邻居。分配园艺对健康和幸福感的影响受年龄的调节。62 岁及以上的分配园艺者在所有健康和幸福感指标上的得分均明显或略有高于同一年龄段的邻居。年轻分配园艺者的健康和幸福感与年轻邻居没有差异。分配园艺对老年园艺者的健康和幸福感的更大益处可能与以下发现有关：老年分配园艺者更倾向于园艺和积极活动，而不是被动放松。
这些发现与拥有分配花园可以促进积极的生活方式并有助于健康老龄化的观点一致。然而，这些发现可能受到自我选择的限制，需要进一步研究来证实和扩展当前的发现。
