Department of Horticultural Therapy, Graduate School of Agriculture and Animal Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.
Department of Environmental Health Science, Sanghuh College of Life Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Feb 18;17(4):1303. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17041303.
We aimed to develop a horticultural therapy program for the vocational rehabilitation of individuals with intellectual disabilities and examine its effects. Individuals with intellectual disabilities ( = 28, average age: 33.23 ± 4.9 years) were recruited from a welfare center in Jecheon, South Korea. They participated in eight weekly sessions of a horticultural therapy program consisting of common succulent cultivation techniques at a specialized succulent cultivation farm located in Jecheon, South Korea. Before and after the program, we assessed hand function (grip strength, pinch force, and hand dexterity, evaluated using a hand dynamometer, Jamar hydraulic pinch gauge, and grooved pegboard, respectively), emotional behavioral strategies (evaluated using the emotional behavioral checklist), and social skills (evaluated using the social skill rating system-teacher form). After participation in the horticultural therapy program, individuals with intellectual disabilities displayed significantly improved hand function, emotional behavior, and social skills (all < 0.05). This study demonstrates the potential of horticultural therapy focused on succulent cultivation for the vocational training of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Future studies should investigate the effects of the program in a larger cohort.
我们旨在为智力障碍人士的职业康复开发园艺治疗项目，并检验其效果。智力障碍人士（=28 人，平均年龄：33.23±4.9 岁）来自韩国清州市的一家福利中心。他们在韩国清州的一家专门的多肉植物养殖农场参加了为期八周的园艺治疗项目，该项目包括常见的多肉植物栽培技术。在项目前后，我们评估了手部功能（握力、捏力和手灵活性，分别使用手持测力计、Jamar 液压捏力计和槽形钉板评估）、情绪行为策略（使用情绪行为检查表评估）和社会技能（使用社交技能评分系统-教师表格评估）。参加园艺治疗项目后，智力障碍人士的手部功能、情绪行为和社交技能均显著改善（均<0.05）。本研究表明，以多肉植物栽培为重点的园艺治疗在智力障碍人士的职业培训中具有潜力。未来的研究应该在更大的队列中调查该项目的效果。
