Effect of gardening activities in early childhood education institutions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9406733 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sunjin Jeong (0000-0001-6279-9733), Sun Jin Jeong (Rural Development Administration), Ji-Won Moon (0000-0001-9101-5459, Rural Development Administration), Eunha Yoo (0000-0002-5794-2600, Rural Development Administration), Yong Ku Kang (National Horticultural Research Institute), Yongku Kang (0009-0001-2990-3161), Dae-Sung Park (0000-0003-4258-0878, Konyang University), Merve Nur Uygun (0009-0007-5713-0358, Konyang University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 260 |
| Pages | 105723-105723 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Acta Psychologica (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0001-6918 • E-ISSN: 1873-6297 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105723 |
| PMID | 41086743 |
| OpenAlex | W4415121874 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 38 |
This study aimed to investigate the effects of gardening activities on children's eating habits, sleep quality, plant familiarity, social skills, and physical activities. Thirty children were divided into an experimental group (n = 15) in which gardening activities were applied, and a control group (n = 15) that remained outside these practices, and a 16-week assessment was conducted. The results showed significant improvements in Eating habits (Teacher Observation Questionnaire - TOQ) (from 66.27 ± 4.61 to 71.07 ± 4.23, p = .002), Plant familiarity (from 57.87 ± 7.42 to 77.40 ± 6.36, p < .001), and Physical activity levels (from 34.07 ± 7.24 to 42.47 ± 4.64, p < .001) compared to the control group. Both groups demonstrated significant gains in social skills, with no between-group differences (p = .983). These findings suggest that integrating structured gardening activities into early childhood curricula can promote healthy dietary behaviors, environmental knowledge, and physical engagement. However, the study's small sample size, and short duration limit generalizability. Future research should employ randomized designs, larger samples, and longer interventions to confirm these effects and explore mechanisms, including potential links between diet, microbiota, and sleep
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |