THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HORTICULTURAL THERAPY AS A COPING STRATEGY

FOR STRESS AMONGST THE MIDDLE-AGED GROUP

An Undergraduate Thesis Presented to the Faculty

of the College of Health Sciences

Department of Nursing

Holy Name University

Tagbilaran City

By

ABADEJOS, Rhea Casem

ECHAVIA, Kurt Dominic

PIODOS, Marjorie Labapiz

REGALADO, Angelo Gabriel

SEPTEMBER 2020

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CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE PAGE

Introduction

Rationale    …………………………………………………...   1

Review of Related Literature    ……………………………..  4

Theoretical Background    …………………………………. 13

The Problem

Statement of the Problem    ………………………………...   18

Statement of Hypotheses    …………………………………   20

Significance of the Study    ………………………………....   20

Scope and Limitations    ……………………………………..   20

Research Methodology

Research Design    …………………………………………...   21

Research Environment    ……………………………………   22

Research Respondents    ……………………………………   22

Research Instrument    ………………………………………   23

Research Procedures

Gathering of Data    …………………………………………..   23

Treatment of Data    …………………………………………..   24

Definition of Terms    ………………………………………….   24

LIST OF FIGURE

TITLE PAGE

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Conceptual ..................................................... 14

Framework

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 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

RATIONALE

Stress is not an unusual phenomenon that happens to us and we feel this when we

exert too much pressure or effort unto ourselves. It makes weary and tired and lessens

our productivity and sometimes too much of it leads us to sickness or other diseases.

Stress problems are very common with many people reporting experiencing extreme

levels of negative stress. When stress is considered as something that occurs

repeatedly across the full lifespan, the true incidence of stress problems is much higher.

Being "stressed out" is thus a universal human phenomenon that affects almost

everyone. Generally, we express our thoughts about stress to release our negative

emotions that leave us feeling enraged, short-tempered, and overwhelmed. We could

say that stress is a result from the changing and demanding society that we live in. We

can define stress by saying that it involves the "set of emotional, physical, and cognitive

(i.e., thought) reactions to a change." Thinking about stress as a reaction to change

suggests that it is not necessarily bad, and sometimes, could even be a good thing.

Some life changes such as getting a new job, moving in with a new romantic partner, or

studying to master a new skill are generally considered positive and life-enhancing

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events, even though they can also be quite stressful. Other life changes such as losing

a job or an important relationship are more negative, and also stressful.

Diseases come in many forms and usually some do not occur due to bacteria or

viruses. Lifestyle is also a part of the risk factors in being vulnerable to diseases. What

many people do not realize is that stress can also disable the body’s immune system to

make you more susceptible to germs in the environment. Many kinds of infirmities result

from your immune system’s inability to function properly. Stress, especially the

unrelenting kind for which there is no relief, can play havoc with your body’s ability to

fight off microscopic invaders or to operate the way it is supposed to. There are many

kinds of illnesses caused by stress involving both the body and the mind. An example of

it is insomnia which is a cause of stress due to heavy thoughts and emotions that you

carry will leave you sleepless thinking about it thus pertaining to lack of sleep and would

pertain to the decrease of function of the immune system and heightens the

susceptibility of other diseases. Too much stress also leads to depression which is a

risk factor to cancer or psychological trauma which would further lead to suicidal

thoughts and ending one’s life. According to American Psychological Association (APA)

80% of the population experience stress and the no.1 cause of it is due to work

pressure followed by low income or no money at all. APA also stated that the middle

age group are on stress levels that are higher than they consider healthy.

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There are a lot of ways and activities to cope up with stress like exercise, singing,

dancing, painting, or whatever activity there is. We, the researchers, would like to focus

on the effectiveness of horticultural therapy. Horticultural therapy is the process by

which gardening and plants are used to improve both physical and mental wellbeing of

an individual. Also known as social and therapeutic horticulture. This activity helps in a

way that it could cope up with stress because when people participate in HT, they take

on a care-giving role. By tending to a garden, people receive an increased sense of

responsibility and purpose. Gardening helps improve your motor skills and being

amongst nature has a general calming effect on the soul. Some studies suggest that

this is because being outdoors exposes you to more sun, and in turn vitamin D. People

in the Philippines are more likely to engage in this activity due to the abundant

ecosystem that the Philippines has. In a tropical country like the Philippines, Horticulture

could help in providing better gas exchange in the environment. According to Philippine

Statistics, the middle-aged group are more engaged in Gardening and it makes up

about 78% in the society. We aim to know the effectiveness of Horticulture as a coping

mechanism or Stress management among middle-aged people to help lessen or

manage the number of stress-related cases in their age group. This study aims to have

a holistic approach when dealing with stress which not only focuses on their mental

needs but also their emotional and spiritual well-being.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

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Horticultural therapy can be defined as a therapeutic method using plants and plant-

related activities to control physical and mental ailments (AHTA, 2012)1. This therapy is

special because it uses living material as a powerful tool to heal people’s mind, body

and spirit for enhancing physical, mental and social health (Simson & Straus, 2003,

Chapter 1)2. The principle of horticultural therapy is widely accepted and is being

practiced worldwide as an effective alternative treatment method. It is used in

healthcare facilities, community agencies, schools, nursing homes, rehabilitation, and

vocational centers. People of any age or disability can participate and the activities can

be customized for each person. The psychological worth of people-plant interactions is

hugely beneficial as it allows individuals to escape from the demands of everyday life

permitting them to think about less stressful things, imagine fewer psychological

boundaries and recover from the repeated focused attention required when completing

stressful work (Simson & Straus, 2003, Chapter 2). A relaxed environment that

promotes tranquility can foster achieving of personal goals and aspirations, which in

turn can help to increase self-esteem as well as help to improve one’s sense of worth

(Simson & Straus, 2003, Chapter 11).

The aim of our study is to present the importance of horticultural therapy activities and

to show how this hugely impacts our senses. The major benefit of horticultural therapy

is that it improves cognitive, physical, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. When

we interact with nature through Horticulture Therapy, we experience natural textures,

1 American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA). (2012). Definitions and positions. Retrieved 20
July, 2017 from https://sites.temple.edu/vrasp/files/2016/12/HorticulturalTherapy.pdf
2 Simson, S. P., & Straus, M. C. (2003). Horticulture as therapy: Principles and practice. Binghamton, NY:
The Haworth Press.

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soothing colours, soft sounds and refreshing smells. This experience calms the mind,

triggers positive memories, and leads to tranquility all of which help people with troubled

minds. Horticultural therapy sessions consist of a group of activities with specific

treatment goals. We use a number of activities both for groups and individuals for

therapeutic purposes.

Activities impacting smell and sight appear to have the most impact on participants. The

sense of smell is the ‘canary in the coalmine’ of human health (Pinto, Wroblewski, Kern,

Schumm, & McClintock, 2014)3. Smell is the most powerful sense, which triggers

specific memories. It is well used in therapy to help alleviate amnesia. Studies also

show that smells can have an effect on what we buy and how much we spend

(Rodriguez-Gil, 2004)4.

Research conducted by The University of Maryland on the fragrance of lavender and its

utilization in sleeping disorder, tension, stress and post-surgery period found that the

fragrance of lavender can moderate the movement of the sensory system, enhance

sleeping quality, peacefulness, and mood enhancement in individuals experiencing

different issues, like some food smells helps to restore relaxation and impact on the

body and brain (Dobson, 2015)5. Similarly, another study by the University of Heidelberg

found that low intensity exercise before going to sleep results in peaceful sleep with

3 [1] Pinto, J. M., Wroblewski, K. E., Kern D. W., Schumm, L. P., & McClintock, M. K. (2014). Olfactory
dysfunction predicts 5-year mortality in older adults. PLoS One, 9(10), e107541.
4 Rodriguez-Gil, G. (2004). The powerful sense of smell. Retrieved 20 July, 2017 from
http://www.tsbvi.edu/publications/203-resources/4364- the-sense-of-smell-a-powerful-sense
5 [1] Dobson, R. (2015). How smell affects body and mind? Retrieved 20 July, 2017 from
http://www.saga.co.uk/health/mind/how-smell-affectsyour-body-and-mind

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positive dreams. Additionally it was found that the odor helps people feel more

refreshed and focused. A study from Japan (Toyoda, 2012)6 showed that splashing the

aroma of lavender during industrial facility coffee breaks enhanced post-break

performance. Moreover, other research has shown that the athletes who sniffed

peppermint ran faster and were more focused than others, and youngsters performed

better at tests after smelling fresh when presented to the smell of fresh strawberries.

The objectives of the study are as follows:

1) To determine the importance of Horticultural Therapy activities in stimulating senses;

reducing stress, and depression; and in boosting self-esteem

2) To study the effects of Horticultural Therapy activities in the daily life of corporate

employees.

1. Horticulture as Therapy

The first recorded use of horticulture in a treatment context occurred in ancient Egypt,

when court physicians prescribed walks in palace gardens for royalty who were mentally

disturbed (Lewis, 1976:4). In the 1800s, horticulture as therapy was conducted to

people with mental disabilities, disadvantaged young people and mentally handicapped

children in the US. During and after World War II, horticulture was adopted extensively

in hospitals. Occupational therapists actively used plants and gardening activities in

their therapy and rehabilitation programming. In 1951, a horticultural program started in

the hospital's geriatric ward (Lewis, 1976:7). Horticulture became a kind of therapy in
6 [2] Toyoda, M. (2012). Horticultural therapy in Japan – History, education, character, assessment.
Retrieved 20 July, 2017 from http://www.awaji.ac.jp/htcp/wpcontent/uploads/sites/3/2016/07/20120703-
164630- 5665.pdf

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hospitals conducted by medical staff such as occupational therapists in the US.

Horticultural therapy (HT) is defined as a process through which plants, gardening

activities, and the innate closeness we all feel toward nature are used as vehicles in

professionally conducted programs of therapy and rehabilitation (Davis, 1998:3). HT is

considered to consist of three components: environment, plants and people involved.

Environment is classified into two categories: environment with greenery and

environment without greenery. The former gives clients a comfortable atmosphere. In

the latter, a horticultural therapist may think of using a container garden, cut flowers or

handcraft of plants etc. to make the place more comfortable. Furthermore, he/she may

think how to use plants in order to make clients pleasant and to elicit or stimulate their

remaining abilities. Here, plants are the objects of perception, cultivation (or use) and

process. He/she may also think of utilizing people to attain clients’ goals effectively. A

horticultural therapist is a kind of vehicle. His/her attitude to the clients, appearance, etc.

affects them.

Supporting staff like doctors, nurses, care workers, family members, friends and

colleagues in the same hospital or facility are kinds of vehicles, too. A horticultural

therapist makes the best plan by combining and coordinating these vehicles effectively.

HT is adopted successfully for various groups of patients: people with physical and

cognitive impairments, seniors, cancer patients, physical therapy clients, alcohol

recovery clients, spinal cord and brain injury patients, people with neurological

impairments, Alzheimer’s and dementia groups, children, etc. Virtually, it is applicable to

all patient groups. In the 1st European COST Action 866 conference, horticultural

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therapy is a kind of Green care. (Hine.et al.,2007:128) says that therapeutic applications

of various green exercise activities and other nature based approaches such as

therapeutic horticulture are effective at promoting health and well-being and by enabling

healthier communities, Green care may have great potential to reduce the cost of public

health. HT became well-known in Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and

China recently. Those Asian countries are faced with aged or aging societies, which

may be one of the reasons for attracting attention to HT in these countries.

2. Characteristics and effects of Horticulture

2.1 Stimulating the five senses

It is known that views of nature have positive, physiological impacts on individuals

whether or not they are consciously aware of them. These effects include lower blood

pressure, reduced muscle tension, and lower skin conductance (Relf, 1998:27). Plants

which the client feels comfortable are used in HT. The color, shape, smell, touch and

taste of plants, sounds of wind/ water/ insects/ birds and conversation with others

stimulate the sensory organs, attract people and make them comfortable. It is also

believed that touching plants with beauty and good fragrance and doing gardening

activities which the client feels comfortable lead to stress reduction in HT.

Selection of plants is based on safety of the material and the environmental conditions

for cultivation. In addition, the following plants are selected: plants which easily elicit the

client’s interest and are combined with his/her memory, plants which cause the sense of

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season, annual flowers and vegetables whose growth is fast, and plants the client

prefers.

2.2 Visible accomplishment

It is said that decision-making is conducted by a man based on reward. Gardening is

accompanied by germination, flowering and fruiting after sowing or planting seedlings.

Sometimes making a handicraft using plants is conducted in HT. These activities are so

easy to understand visually that the rewards and results can be imaged soon. Because

of this, gardening is suitable for conducting goal-oriented activities and easily leads to a

highly-motivated action. Horticulture is a meaningful, purposeful activity that is

motivating, normal, and tangible (Haller, 2006:10). Even in the gardening work

description, there is no need to explain the work in language only. Showing the motion

of work enables the client to understand what he/she should do. This means that the

tasks are easily recognized visually. Gardening provides good motivation for people

with the declined memory function and/or reduced ability of undertaking tasks, patients

with mental disorders who are in a depressed state, and people with intellectual

disabilities who are not good at linguistic information processing. In gardening activities,

such people can work with a sense of self-affirmation maintained.

2.3 Composed of plain actions

Many of the gardening work consist of a combination of plain motions. This shows that it

is easy to find the process which even people with disabilities can do or find out the

points to be assisted. The majority of tasks are easily adaptable to accommodate the

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abilities and challenges of diverse individuals (Haller, 2006:15). This means that anyone

can participate in the agricultural and horticultural activities, and that they can become a

barrier-free place for everyone.

2.4 Many chances to go outside

That gardening becomes a part of everyday life has many meanings. One of them is

that it helps to motivate the clients to go outside on a daily basis to see flowers and

vegetables they are growing. The opportunities to do the activities of daily living such as

getting up, dressing themselves and moving arise from this motivation. In addition, it is

said to be good for stabilizing Circadian rhythm, autonomic nerves, and the immune

function to be out in the sunlight.

2.5 Developing empathy

It was mentioned above that the environment, plants, and people are the basic

elements in HT. Plants, which are objects of gardening, are familiar for us all and the

topics concerning them, e.g. the names, color, shape, anticipation for growth and fun of

harvesting are acceptable for everyone. Such plants can successfully bring people

empathic conversation and smiles. Opportunities to communicate through gardening

like this will lead to enhancing motivation for life and self-affirmation. As horticultural

activities have the potential to be highly effective means for improving social interaction

(Haller, 2006:10), they might be also effective in practicing rebuilding human

relationships.

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3. Effects of horticultural therapy

Many effects of HT are known empirically although most of them have not been verified

yet. This section is focusing on various effects of horticultural therapy.

3.1 Psychological effects

The psychological effects of HT are： (1) stress reduction, (2) regain of confidence, (3)

recovery of self-affirmation (useful sense of self), (4) stimulation, preservation or recovery of

mental functions. Mental functions, as listed in ICF, include orientation functions

(orientation to time, place, person, etc.), energy and drive functions, attention functions

(sustaining,

dividing and shifting attention), memory functions, emotional functions, perceptual

functions, thought functions, higher-level cognitive functions, mental functions of

language, mental function of sequencing complex movements and experience of self

and time functions. We are researching stress reduction after horticultural activities by

analyzing some stress markers in saliva. As extraction of saliva is not invasive, it is

suitable for validating the change of psychological stress before and after horticultural

activities.

3.2 Physiological effects

The physiological effects of HT are: (1) prevention of disuse syndrome of seeing

functions / hearing and vestibular functions / taste function / smell function /

proprioceptive function / touch function / sensory functions related to temperature /

functions of the cardiovascular system /

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immunological system functions / other body functions, (2) reduction of sensations of

pain, (3) preservation of neuromusculoskeletal and movement-related functions and

preservation of activities of daily living, (4) improvement / preservation of mobility, (5)

improvement / preservation of ability of changing and maintaining body position, (6)

improvement / preservation of ability of carrying, moving and handling objects, (7)

improvement / preservation of ability of walking and moving, (8) improvement /

preservation of ability of self-care such as washing oneself, dressing, eating, drinking,

looking after one’s health.

3.3 Social effects

The Social effects of HT are improvement/preservation of abilities of: (1) purposeful

sensory experiences such as watching, listening and other purposeful sensing, (2) basic

learning such as copying, rehearsing and acquiring skills, (3) applying knowledge such

as focusing attention, thinking, solving problems and making decisions, (4) conducting

general tasks and demands such as undertaking a single task, undertaking multiple

tasks and handling stress and other psychological demands, (5) communication, (6)

interpersonal interactions and relationships, etc.

Theoretical Background

Upon careful interpretation, Horticultural therapy is loosely connected to Jean Watson's

Theory of Human Caring, wherein the idea is predicated on the humanistic aspects and

on the moral and spiritual dimensions of care. This holistic approach to nursing care

considers the characteristics of every individual and their physical, psychological and

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spiritual needs, which may contribute fundamentally to the event of holistic critical

thinking and to the role of the nurse in care, teaching and research fields.7According to

Watson, caring is central to nursing practice, and promotes health better than an easy

medical cure. She believes that a holistic approach to health care is central to the

practice of caring in nursing. According to her theory, caring is often demonstrated and

practiced by nurses. Caring for patients promotes growth; a caring environment accepts

an individual as he or she is, and appears to what he or she may become.

7Riegel, Fernando et al. “Contributions of Jean Watson's theory to holistic critical thinking of nurses.”
Revista brasileira de enfermagem vol. 71,4 (2018): 2072-2076. doi:10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0065
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30156699/

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Conceptual Framework

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A holistic approach means to offer support and care that encompasses the entire

person, not just merely their psychological state needs. The support should also

consider their physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. Every person has a

different experience of mental disease and a path to recovery that's influenced by their

age, gender, culture, heritage, language, faith, sexuality and identity, relationship status,

life experience and beliefs. A holistic approach focuses on a person’s wellness and not

just their illness or condition. Holistic Health is an approach to life. Instead of focusing

on the illness or specific parts of the body, this approach to health considers the entire

person and the way he or she interacts together with his or her environment. It

emphasizes the connection of mind, body and spirit.

Holistic health is connected to Holism, the theory that the parts of any whole cannot

exist and can't be understood except in their reference to the entire ; “holism holds that

the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts”; that parts of an entire are in intimate

interconnection, such they can't exist or be understood independently of the entire .8

A study of horticulture is beneficial to mental and physical health, and also reduces the

stress of the patients and establishes a spiritual connection with nature. Being in touch

with nature can help you feel removed from all the various stressors in daily life.

Horticultural therapy is an emerging field of clinical practice based on proven benefits to

the physical, psychological and spiritual wellbeing that result from gardening as a

healing or therapeutic agent. Horticultural therapy is rooted within the concept of

8 https://guidingwellness.com/wellness-and-holism/what-is-holistic-health/

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interaction with plants improves overall well-being, whether it's tending a garden or

simply having plants in your home. Biophilia (meaning love of nature) focuses on

human’s innate attraction to nature and natural processes. It suggests that we all have a

genetic connection to the natural world built up through hundreds of thousands of years

of living in agrarian settings(Wilson 1980).

Horticulture therapy of gardening is implemented in both community-dwelling settings

and in institutionalized middle age persons. This process is used to enhance an

individual well being through active and passive involvement on plants or plants related

activities. Through various research designs gardening is an activity that promotes

overall health and quality of life, physical strength, fitness and flexibility, cognitive ability,

and socialization(e.g., improved mood, improved self-esteem, enhanced social

interaction). The implementation of various aspects of gardening as health-promoting

activities transcend contexts of practice and disciplines and can be used in urban and

rural communities as both individual and group activities(Wang and Macmillan 2013).

Horticultural therapy is a treatment modality that is non-threatening, culturally respectful,

and empowering of many different populations (Kim, 2013). The treatment uses plants

and gardening materials with a handsome approach to help improve the client's social

skills, self-esteem, and use of leisure time, while also providing a means to become

more self reliant (Kim, 2013).

Stress-reducing effects of Horticultural Therapy is that the natural environments and

elements are less perceptually demanding than urban environments and need

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involuntary attention; they therefore provide restoration, and opportunity from mental

effort, and the capacity to recover from focused attention (Kaplan and Kaplan 1989).

Furthermore, according to biophilia theory, people respond positively to natural

environments and their elements because such a response is an evolved, adaptive one.

From an evolutionary perspective, human beings are drawn to natural environmental

features, like plants, trees, and water, that aren't only aesthetically appealing but would

even have enhanced the survival of our species many years ago (Wilson 1984).

According to the theory, humans have evolved with a capacity to prefer, and respond

positively to, nature.9

According to the Mayo Clinic, chronic stress is hard on your body and contributes to

anxiety, depression and disease, that’s why finding healthy ways to cope and take care

of your mind and body are so important. Sow some seeds, do a little watering, cut a

bouquet or pull weeds and you’ll soon find that time has flown and cares that were

pressing in on you earlier have receded into the distance. Working in the garden

reduces cortisol levels (a chemical your body produces in response to stress). Just

sitting in a garden helps too. Exposure to plants and green space, and gardening.

Growing your own food is self sufficient. You know where it came from and you can eat

fresh fruits.

9Scott T.L. (2015) Horticultural Therapy. In: Pachana N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer,
Singapore.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_268-1
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_268-1

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Therapeutic gardens have been used in hospitals for thousands of years, and were

strongly supported by Florence Nightingale. They improve the surroundings for patients,

visitors and staff. Ulrich11 has emphasised their beneficial effects on stress, especially

if the spaces support biodiversity, with increased satisfaction reported by those who use

them.10

THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Horticulture as a

coping strategy for dealing with stress amongst the middle-aged population group.

Further, this research answered the following:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 Age group; and

1.2 Gender

2. What is the respondents’ level of awareness of the manifestations of stress in

their day to day lives in terms of the;

2.1 Physical;

10Thompson, Richard. “Gardening for health: a regular dose of gardening.” Clinical medicine (London,
England) vol. 18,3 (2018): 201-205. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.18-3-
201https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334070/

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 2.2 Psychological; and

2.3 Spiritual

3. What are the respondents’ experiences relative to the signs and symptoms of

stress in terms of;

3.1 Physical;

3.2 Psychological; and

3.3 Spiritual

4. What activities related to stress management by the respondents’ involves

horticultural therapy?

5. In utilizing horticulture as a holistic approach towards stress management, was

there a significant impact over the course of the study? Can it be measured?

Statement of Hypothesis

Utilizing Horticultural Therapy as a holistic approach towards stress

management proved to have a beneficial effect towards the respondent’s overall well-

being and had a significant impact towards their management of stressors.

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Significance of the Study

Researchers believe that the results of this study would be beneficial

towards: Middle-Age group population. This study helps determine the efficacy of

Horticulture as a holistic modality for managing stress amongst the middle-age

population group.

Scope and Limitations

The study was confined to a specific geographical area which imposes

limits on generalization. It focused on the 10 middle-age respondents in Phase I,

Lindaville and another set of 10 respondents in Phase II, Lindaville over a course of 1

month. A questionnaire was given to these middle-age respondents of Lindaville to

assess their stress and anxiety scores.

The researchers choose the Middle-Age people in Lindaville as the

suitable respondents to assess the validity and reliability of the study.

The researchers limited this study to those randomly chosen participants

in each street. The chosen participant may not be available on the day the

questionnaire will be given because they might not be in their houses during the giving

of questionnaire.

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 The study needed the respondents’ willingness, cooperation and honesty

in answering the questionnaire and following the procedures instructed.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

To achieve the objectives of the study, the researchers used a quasi-

experimental design with a time series frame to derive the needed data, specifically, a

survey questionnaire to find out the effectiveness of horticultural therapy as a coping

strategy or a stress management for middle-aged people.

Research Environment

The study will be conducted in Lindaville which is found between the district of

San Isidro, Tagbilaran City and Dao, Tagbilaran City. Lindaville is a government-owned

subdivision which is divided into two parts, phase I and Phase II. The subdivision is also

subdivided into 10 parts which was implemented by the Parish of Lindaville because it

holds street masses every month with each trinity. It is not heavily guarded which

makes it open to the public. Our group member is also a resident of the said subdivision

which gives an advantage to conduct our study in that area. Lindaville is near the

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outskirts of the Municipality which is away from the bustling road and busy street which

would be conducive for data gathering since they’re at the comfort of their own home

and provides a safer way to gather data.

Research Respondents

Our research environment offers us a complete range of respondents from young

children to Old people but our study would like to focus on middle-aged people

specifically the ones who have jobs and do a lot of stressful work. We included 20

participants in the age group of 35-60 years old wherein we divided them into 2 groups

wherein group A composing of 10 people shall participate with a given plant while

Group B which also compose 10 people shall participate without any given plant.

Research Instrument

We, the researchers, have formulated 2 types of questionnaires that are given

before and after the study. The 1st part of the study begins with an interview and pre-

questionnaire which allow us to gather pre-data and then a post-questionnaire after one

month the interview was given. 10 participants were also given a chance to adopt a

seedlings while the other 10 weren’t able to receive any seedlings.

Data Gathering Procedure

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 On the basis of gathering the data the following were made. A formal letter was

signed by the researchers and their adviser for approval and was submitted to the Dean

of College of Health and Sciences as well as to the Head of the Lindaville Subdivision

Association asking for their permission to conduct a study in Lindaville and on the

participants available ,specifically, the middle-aged group ranging from (35-60 years

old)

Upon approval, the researchers administered the research instrument on the

allotted time schedule personally to the respondents.

The research instrument was composed of two parts wherein the respondents

were given a pre-questionnaire and an interview. 10 participants were given a seedling

and others weren’t able to receive. We didn’t try to inform them what day will be back

which allowed us to gather unbiased data.

After a month, a questionnaire and another interview was given to the

respondents to check on their progress with the study. The 2 Questionnaires have

been collected and compared and the results were consolidated. The data gathered

shown in the table were used for statistical treatment and analysis. The researchers

worked hand in hand with their statistician and adviser in order to get the desired result

of the study.

Treatment of Data: To be followed

Definition of Terms

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For the clarification of the terms used in the course of the study, the following terms are

hereby defined.

Horticulture - the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental

plants. Horticulture is a branch of plant agriculture dealing with garden crops, generally

fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants.

Holistic Care- It refers to the provision of care to patients that are based on a mutual

understanding of their physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. 

Holism-  A study or method of treatment that is concerned with wholes or with complete

systems: a holistic study or method of treatment.

Biophilia- is humankind's innate biological connection with nature. Biophilia is the

hypothetical human tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms of life

in nature : a desire or tendency to commune with nature.

Middle-Aged Group- is the period between early adulthood and old age, usually

considered as the years from about 45 to 65. The middle-aged group is utilized as the

respondents for this research.

Physical stress- is the physical manifestation of the body’s reaction to harmful

situations such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, pains, upset stomach, etc.

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Psychological stress- is a feeling of emotional and mental strain that is derived from

the body’s reaction to anything that requires action or attention.

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