Quality of life benefits of urban rooftop gardening for people with intellectual disabilities or mental health disorders
Triguero-Mas, Margarita (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Anguelovski, Isabelle (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Cirac-Claveras, Judith (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Connolly, James J. T. (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Vazquez, Ana (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
Urgell-Plaza, Ferran (Ajuntament de Barcelona. Institut Municipal de Persones amb Discapacitat)
Cardona-Giralt, Núria (Ajuntament de Barcelona. Institut Municipal de Persones amb Discapacitat)
Sanyé Mengual, Esther (Joint Research Centre (Ispra, Itàlia))
Alonso, Jordi (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública)
Cole, Helen (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)

Date:	2020
Abstract:	Background: The number of urban community gardens, including those on rooftops, is increasing. However, few studies have explored the benefits of these gardens for people with intellectual disabilities or mental health disorders. We evaluated the association between urban rooftop gardening and quality of life of individuals with moderate to very marked disability. Methods: We collected quality of life information with a preliminary version of the INTEGRAL Scale questionnaire from all gardeners (n = 54) and among a comparison group of nongardeners (n = 43). We also conducted semi-structured interviews with participants and technicians, and made field observations. Results: Our results indicated that urban rooftop gardening was associated with better personal development and suggested enhanced physical and emotional well-being, sense of purpose, social inclusion, interpersonal relations (including new perspectives on the urban environment and the changes in social roles), and general quality of life. Conclusion: Our study extends the evidence on the potential benefits of urban rooftop gardening in general, and specifically for those with intellectual disabilities and mental health disorders.
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad IJCI-2016-31100 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad FJCI-2017-33842 European Commission 678034
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Note:	This publication is in the public domain and is therefore without copyright. All text from this work may be reprinted freely. Use of these materials should be properly cited
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	Preventing Chronic Disease, Vol. 17 (October 2020) , art. e126, ISSN 1545-1151

DOI: 10.5888/pcd17.200087
PMID: 33059797

13 p, 482.7 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA) > The Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles