Flowers or Leaves? Assessing the Impact of Crape Myrtle Observation on the Physical and Mental Well-being of Senior Citizens

IF 1 4区农林科学 Q3 HORTICULTURE

Horttechnology Pub Date : 2024-06-01 DOI:10.21273/horttech05364-23

Siwen Hao, Donglin Zhang, Yafeng Wen, Yiqun Yang, Hengwei Zhang, Lu Hou

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated the beneficial impact of plants on the overall well-being of elderly individuals. However, there remains a gap in our understanding which specific plant species have a notable influence on the physical and mental health of the elderly population. Among the various woody ornamental plants used worldwide, crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) holds a growing significance in the natural environment. This study aimed to investigate the physiological parameters (such as blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and fingertip pulse) as well as psychological aspects (measured using positive and negative affect schedule scores and smile face scale) associated with crape myrtle observation activities. The finding revealed the following key points: 1) engaging in crape myrtle observation activities significantly enhanced the physical and mental well-being of elderly participants; 2) the impact of observing crape myrtle flowers differed notably from that of observing its leaves, with flower observation having a more positive effect on the physical and mental health of elderly individuals; and 3) the natural environment was found to exert an influence on the physical and mental health of elderly individuals through visual stimulation. Following the observation of crape myrtle, there was a significant decrease in the physiological indices of elderly individuals. Our findings offer valuable insights into the therapeutic benefits of crape myrtle observation activities and contributing evidence-based recommendations for future landscape design aimed at enhancing well-being.

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花还是叶？评估紫薇观察对老年人身心健康的影响

以往的研究表明，植物对老年人的整体健康有益。然而，我们对哪些特定植物物种会对老年人的身心健康产生显著影响的认识仍然存在差距。在世界范围内使用的各种木本观赏植物中，紫薇（Lagerstroemia indica）在自然环境中的重要性与日俱增。本研究旨在调查与紫薇观察活动相关的生理参数（如血压、心率、血氧饱和度和指尖脉搏）和心理方面（使用积极和消极情绪表评分和笑脸量表测量）。研究结果揭示了以下要点：1）参与紫薇观察活动能显著提高老年参与者的身心健康；2）观察紫薇花与观察紫薇叶的影响明显不同，观察紫薇花对老年人的身心健康有更积极的影响；3）发现自然环境通过视觉刺激对老年人的身心健康产生影响。观察紫薇后，老年人的生理指数显著下降。我们的研究结果为紫薇观察活动的治疗效果提供了宝贵的见解，并为未来旨在提高幸福感的景观设计提供了基于证据的建议。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Horttechnology 农林科学-园艺

CiteScore

2.30

自引率

10.00%

发文量

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： HortTechnology serves as the primary outreach publication of the American Society for Horticultural Science. Its mission is to provide science-based information to professional horticulturists, practitioners, and educators; promote and encourage an interchange of ideas among scientists, educators, and professionals working in horticulture; and provide an opportunity for peer review of practical horticultural information.