Journal of People, Plants, and Environment (인간식물환경학회지)

Society For People, Plants, And Environment (인간식물환경학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Effects of an Agro-healing Program on Promoting Mental Health of the Middle-aged

  • Kim, Jae Soon (National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science, RDA) ;
  • Yoo, Eunha (National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science, RDA) ;
  • Jeong, Sun-Jin (National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science, RDA) ;
  • Jang, Hye Sook (Protected Horticulture Research Institute, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science)
  • Received : 2021.11.11
  • Accepted : 2021.11.26
  • Published : 2021.12.31
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Background and objective: This study was conducted with 10 men and women in their 50s-60s to investigate the effect of agro-healing activities on the improvement of mental health. Methods: The experimental group participated in total 8 sessions of agro-healing activities, once a week for 2 hours each, at a care farm in Wanju-gun. Physiological measurements were taken with an electroencephalogram (EEG), Salivettes samples, and blood pressure before and after the activities. Results: As a result of analyzing the changes in brainwaves of the experimental group before and after agro-healing activities, relative slow alpha (RSA), relative fast alpha (RFA), and ratio of alpha to high beta (RAHB), the indices of stability and relaxation, increased after the program with statistical significance. Also, the ratio of SMR to theta (RST) of the attention index increased on the right frontal lobes, temporal lobes, and left occipital lobes, and relative low beta (RLB) increasd on the frontal lobes, temporal lobes, and occipital lobes after the program with statistical significance. The sympathetic nervous system activity, which is a stress index, decreased after the program, whereas the parasympathetic nervous system activity, which is a relaxation index, increased, showing statistical significance (p < .05). As a result of analyzing the changes in blood pressure after the program, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure decreased from prehypertension to normal blood pressure, showing statistical significance. SThese results indicate that participating in agro-healing activities at a care farm for the 50-60s helps reduce stress and improve stability and relaxation as well as attention. Conclusion: Thus, developing and applying customized agro-healing programs for participants will have a positive effect on brain activity and psychophysiological improvement by relieving tension and stress. However, there are limitations in generalizing the results of this study since most of agro-healing farms have low accessibility that leads to a low level of participants.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by the 2021 Horticultural and Herbal Science Program of the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science of the Rural Development Administration (PJ01428402).

References

  1. Berger, H. 1929. Uber das elektrekephalogram des menschen (On the human electrocephalogram). Arch. Psychiatr. Nervenkr. 87(1):527-570. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01797193
  2. Braastad, B.O. and H. Hauge. 2007. Green care in agriculture: Health effects, economics and policies. COST Action 866 Conference, Austrian Horticultural Society, Vienna, Austria.
  3. Choi, S.H., I.S. See, I.J. Song, O.J. Kwon, K.O. Park, H.J. Hong, K.K. Sung, and S.K. Lee. 2014. Method of saliva collection for salivary cortisol measurement. Korean J. Orient. Physiol. Pathol. 28(2):223-232. https://doi.org/10.15188/kjopp.2014.04.28.2.223
  4. Chung, O.B. 2008. Adult and geriatric psychology. Seoul, Korea: Hakjisa Publishing.
  5. Haber, D. 2006. Health promotion for the elderly: In an aging society. Seoul, Korea: Bomungak Publishing.
  6. Jang, H.S., E.H. Yoo, S.J. Jeong, J.S. Kim, and D.Y. Ryu. 2019a. Effects of an agro-healing activity program on the physiological condition of adults with chronic metabolic diseases. J. People Plants Environ. 22(4):355-364. https://doi.org/10.11628/ksppe.2019.22.4.355
  7. Jang, H.S., E.H. Yoo, S.J. Jeong, J.S. Kim, G.M. Gim, and D.Y. Ryu. 2019b. Changes in the saliva cortisol concentration and blood pressure of patients with high blood pressure and diabetes after participating in agrohealing activities. J. People Plants Environ. 22(5):445-445. https://doi.org/10.11628/ksppe.2019.22.5.445
  8. Jang, H.S., G.M. Gim, K.J. Kim, and H.H. Jung. 2017. Change of physiology and emotion according to plant-decoration activity in workers. J. People Plants Environ. 20(5):555-566. https://doi.org/10.11628/ksppe.2017.20.5.555
  9. Jang, H.S., G.M. Gim, S.J. Jeong, and J.S. Kim. 2018. Effects of plant cultivating activity for reducing parental stress. J. People Plants Environ. 21(3):203-211. https://doi.org/10.11628/ksppe.2018.21.3.203
  10. Jang, K.S. 2001. Compressed modernity and reconception of the aging Issue: aged people as a new generation. Fam. Cult. 13(1):1-29.
  11. Jeong, H.Y., E.S. Lee, and Y.K. Yoo. 2010. Effects of horticultural therapy on the depression and self-esteem in old woman of day-care center. J. Korean Soc. People Plants Environ. 13(6):53-61.
  12. Kaplan, R. 2001. The nature of the view from home: Psychological benefits. Environ. Behav. 33(4):507-542. https://doi.org/10.1177/00139160121973115
  13. Kim, E.I., S.H. Hwang, W.S. Shin, and K.W. Ahn. 2002. Physiological effect of forest types: Focused on brain wave and pulsation. J. Korean Inst. For. Recreat. 6(2):43-48.
  14. Kim, H.Y., J.H. Ku, and M.S. Lee. 2012. Effects of horticultural activity on reduction of stress in climacteric urban housewives J. Korean Soc. People Plants Environ. 15(6):435-440. https://doi.org/10.11628/ksppe.2012.15.6.435
  15. Kim, K.H., H.S. Kim, and K.S. Park. 2005. The effects of family function, self-esteem, and loneliness on subjective health status in middle-aged women. J. Korean Acad. Soc. Adult Nurs. 17(2):200-207.
  16. Kim, K.W. 2011. Effects of dan jeon breathing intervention on physical endurance, cognitive function, and depression in middle-aged women. J. East West Nurs. Res. 17(1):24-30. https://doi.org/10.14370/jewnr.2011.17.1.024
  17. Kim, M.A., S.E. Choi, and J.H, Moon. 2019. Effects of health behavior, physical health and mental health on health-related quality of life in middle aged women: By using the 2014 Korea Health Panel Data. J. Korean Acad. Soc. Home Health Care Nurs. 26(1):72-80. https://doi.org/10.22705/jkashcn.2019.26.1.72
  18. Kim, S.Y., B.S. Kee, B.W. Nam, and S.H. Lee. 2000. Cognitive function in postmenopausal women, with or without estrogen replacement therapy. J. Korean Neuropsychiatr. Assoc. 39(1):183-189.
  19. Korean Law Information Center. 2021. 3. 25. Enforcement regulations of the act on healing agriculture R&D and fostering: Law No. 17100. Retrieved from https://www.law.go.kr/lsSc.do?section=&menuId=1&subMenuId=15&tabMenuId=81&eventGubun=060101&query=%EC%B9%98%EC%9C%A0%EB%86%8D%EC%97%85%EB%B2%95#undefined
  20. Korean Society of Hypertension (KSH). 2013. Hypertension guidelines. Seoul, Korea: IMED.
  21. Lee, J.E, P.W. Park, and K.S. Hyun. 2011. The relationship between fatigue, stress resistance and emotion in Korean middle aged women. J. Korea Acad. Ind. Coop. Soc. 12(3):1145-1150. http://dx.doi.org/10.5762/KAIS.2011.12.3.1145
  22. Lee, J.S. 2016. The effect of 12-weeks forest walking on functional fitness, self-efficacy, and stress in the middle-aged women. Master's thesis, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
  23. Lee, J.H., W.S. Shin, P.S. Yeoun, and R.H. Yoo. 2009. The influence of forest scenes on psychophysiological responses. J. Korean For. Soc. 98(1):88-93.
  24. Lee, K.H. and C.J. Chang. 1992. Korean urban women's experience of menopause: Newlife. Korean J. Matern. Child Health Nurse. 2(1):70-86.
  25. Lee, S.M., J.H. Moon, S.J. Jeong, and Y.J. Lee. 2013. Effects of horticultural therapy program focusing on cultivating activities for prisoners scheduled to be released on depression and salivary cortisol. J. Korean Soc. People Plants Environ. 16(4):173-180. https://doi.org/10.11628/ksppe.2013.16.4.173
  26. Loue, S. 2016. CooperRiis healing community. In: Therapeutic farms: Recovery from mental illness. Switzerland: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13539-7_5
  27. Ochiai, H., H. Ikei, C.R. Song, M. Kobayashi, A. Takamatsu, T. Miura, T. Kagawa, Q. Li, S. Kumeda, M. Imai, and Y. Miyazaki. 2015. Physiological and psychological effects of forest therapy on middle-aged males with high-normal blood pressure. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 12(3):2532-2542. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120302532
  28. Park, B.J. 2010. Experimental approach of therapeutic effect of forest recreation activities: Focused on viewing and walking in forest environments. Doctoral dissertation, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
  29. Park, H.C. and D.K. Kang. 2017. Suggestions for applications of therapeutic farms for promoting school community engagement in Korea based on review of therapeutic farms, gardens, animals, policies, and laws in the U.S.A. J. Rural Soc. 27(2):215-269. https://doi.org/10.31894/JRS.2017.12.27.2.215
  30. Park, H.S., G.Y. Cho, M.O. Kim, and S.R. Lee. 2005. A study on use of complementary-alternative therapy in middle-aged women. Korean J. Women Health Nurs. 11(3):193-201. https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2005.11.3.193
  31. Posener, J.A., C. DeBattista, G.H. Williams, H.C. Kraemer, B.M. Kalehzan, and A.F. Schatzberg. 2000. 24-hour monitoring of cortisol and corticotropin secretion in psychotic and nonpsychotic major depression. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 57(8):755-760. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.57.8.755
  32. Rural Development Administration (RDA). 2017. Technology dissemination manual of preventative oriented type agro-healing. Wanju, Korea: RDA.
  33. Rural Development Administration (RDA). 2019. Regional agro healing agriculture practice manual: focusing on collaborative cases of family and healthcare care farm. Wanju, Korea: RDA.
  34. Shin, W.S., P.S. Yeoun, and J.H. Lee. 2007. The impact that a forest experience influences on a human mental state stability. J. Korean Inst. For. Recreat. 11(3):37-43.
  35. Son, K.C., J.S. Lee, and J.E. Song. 1998. Effect of visual recognition of indoor plants on changes of human brain electroencephalography. J. Korean Soc. Hortic. Sci. 39(6):858-862.
  36. Son, K.C., J.S. Lee, and J.E. Song. 1999. Effect of visual recognition of Ficus benjamina and its photograph on changes of human brain electroencephalography and brain blood flow. J. Korean Soc. Hortic. Sci. 40(1):134-138.
  37. Song, C.R., H. Ikei, M. Kobayashi, T. Miura, M. Taue, T. Kagawa, Q. Li, S. Kumeda, M. Imai, and Y. Miyazaki. 2015. Effect of forest walking on autonomic nervous system activity in middle-aged hypertensive individuals: A pilot study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 12(3):2687-2699. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120302687
  38. The WHOQOL Group. 1998. The World Health Organization quality of life assessment (WHOQOL): Development and general psychometric properties. Soc. Sci. Med. 46(12):1569-1585. https://doi.org10.1016/s0277-9536(98)00009-4
  39. Ulrich, R.S. 1984. View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science 224(4647):420-421. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.6143402