How Gardening in Detroit Influences Physical and Mental Health

Beavers, Alyssa W.; Atkinson, Ashley; Varvatos, Lauren M.; Connolly, Mary; Alaimo, Katherine

doi:10.3390/ijerph19137899

Open AccessArticle

How Gardening in Detroit Influences Physical and Mental Health

by

Alyssa W. Beavers

^1,2,

Ashley Atkinson

³,

Lauren M. Varvatos

^1,4,

Mary Connolly

^1,5 and

Katherine Alaimo

^1,*

¹

Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, G.M. Trout FSHN Building, 469 Wilson Rd #204, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA

²

Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University, Science Hall, 5045 Cass Ave #3225, Detroit, MI 48201, USA

³

Keep Growing Detroit, Detroit, 1445 Adelaide St, Detroit, MI 48207, USA

⁴

School of Medicine, Wayne State University, 540 E Canfield St, Detroit, MI 48201, USA

⁵

Pediatric Diabetes, University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, 1540 E Hospital Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7899; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137899

Submission received: 9 March 2022 / Revised: 14 June 2022 / Accepted: 23 June 2022 / Published: 28 June 2022

(This article belongs to the Section Health Behavior, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion)

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Abstract

Gardening has the potential to improve health by providing access to nature, vegetables, and physical activity. However, scarce research exists on the health impacts of gardening on racial and ethnic minority urban populations in the United States. This study used qualitative interviews to examine the perceived physical and mental health effects of gardening in a primarily African American sample of 28 gardeners. Prominent physical health impacts attributed to gardening included providing an enjoyable source of activity, management of chronic diseases, and improved physical functioning. Participants also reported that gardening improved their mood, relieved stress, was an important part of their spirituality, contributed to their personal growth, and provided an opportunity for helping others. These findings suggest that gardening may improve physical and mental health among diverse groups.

Keywords: mental health; gardening; physical health; urban gardening; urban health

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MDPI and ACS Style

Beavers, A.W.; Atkinson, A.; Varvatos, L.M.; Connolly, M.; Alaimo, K. How Gardening in Detroit Influences Physical and Mental Health. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 7899. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137899

AMA Style

Beavers AW, Atkinson A, Varvatos LM, Connolly M, Alaimo K. How Gardening in Detroit Influences Physical and Mental Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(13):7899. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137899

Chicago/Turabian Style

Beavers, Alyssa W., Ashley Atkinson, Lauren M. Varvatos, Mary Connolly, and Katherine Alaimo. 2022. "How Gardening in Detroit Influences Physical and Mental Health" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 13: 7899. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137899

APA Style

Beavers, A. W., Atkinson, A., Varvatos, L. M., Connolly, M., & Alaimo, K. (2022). How Gardening in Detroit Influences Physical and Mental Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13), 7899. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137899

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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How Gardening in Detroit Influences Physical and Mental Health

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