The Effectiveness of 3DVR Horticultural Therapy on Older Adults

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study intends to develop a 3DVR-based horticultural therapy intervention to explore the health effectiveness among older adults

Detailed Description
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Background: Institutionalized older adults have limited ability to engage in horticultural activities that can promote their physical and mental health. Objective: This study explored the effects of a combination of three-dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) and horticultural therapy (HT) on institutionalized older adults' physical and mental health. Methods: The study applied a quasi-experimental design. A total of 106 older adults from two long-term care facilities were recruited and assigned to the experimental (n = 59) or control (n = 47) group. The experimental participants received a nine-week intervention. Both groups completed three assessments: at baseline, after the intervention, and two months later. The outcome variables included health status, meaning in life, perceived mattering, loneliness, and depression.

Official Title
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The Effectiveness of 3DVR Horticultural Therapy on Older Adults' Physical and Mental Health

Conditions
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Physical Health, Mental Health

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Three-dimensional Virtual Reality and Horticultural Therapy


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: over 65 years old. being a long-term resident of the selected LTCF possessing the ability to understand verbal meanings being able to freely operate a joystick. Exclusion Criteria: a history of severe psychiatric conditions, dementia, significant visual or hearing impairment, and/or current severe illnesses such as stroke or Parkinson's disease.
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Experimental group<br>Three-dimensional Virtual Reality and Horticultural Therapy | Other: Three-dimensional Virtual Reality and Horticultural Therapy<br>* VR is a realistic, three-dimensional, and virtual environment formed by a combination of computer software and hardware<br>|
| No Intervention: Control group<br>No intervention | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Health Status | To assess the health status of the elderly participants, we used the Chinese Health Scale (CHQ-12). This scale consists of 12 Likert-type items that are scored from 3 (not at all) to 0 (more than usual). The higher the score, the higher the level of general health. | Two months | 
| Meaning in life. | The meaning in life questionnaire was adapted from the purpose in life (PIL) survey, and it consists of 9 Likert-type items. Each item is scored on a Likert-type scale from 1-5, with higher scores indicating a higher level of perceived meaning in life. | Two months | 
| Perceived mattering | Perceived mattering was adapted from the General mattering Scale (GMS), and consisted of five items. Each item was scored on a Likert-type scale of 1(not at all) to 4(very much) with higher scores indicating a higher level of perceived mattering. | Two months | 
| Loneliness | The short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-6), which consists of six items, was used to measure loneliness. Each item was reversely scored on a Likert-type scale from 4 (never) to 1 (often), with higher scores indicating a lower level of perceived loneliness. | Two months | 
| Depression | Using a Chinese version of the short-form of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). The total raw score ranged from 0-15, with a higher score indicating a lower level of depression. | Two months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Horticultural therapy, 3D VR, Older adults, long-term care facility, mental health