Loading
Life sciences · Review
American Journal of Occupational Therapy · October 8, 2026
No summary has been generated for this record yet. What follows is drawn from its source metadata only.
Review.
No findings were extractable from the material analysed.
Safety was not reported in the material analysed. Check the source before drawing any conclusion about harm.
The source did not state who this applies to in practice.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
This record has not been graded across any dimension yet. Treat the label above as provisional and read the source.
What is missing. This record has no bottom line, key findings, reported figures, evidence dimensions. That is a gap in the analysis, not a judgement about the study.
Importance Common cancer treatments can produce side effects that interfere with daily functioning. In contrast, nature-based therapies such as horticultural therapy may support physical function, psychosocial well-being, and lifestyle behaviors, thereby promoting occupational engagement and quality of life. Objective To determine the effectiveness of garden-based horticultural therapy among cancer survivors. Data Sources Searches were conducted in Academic Search Complete, ProQuest, JSTOR, CINAHL Complete, PubMed, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, American Journal of Occupational Therapy, and Journal of the American Medical Association, as well as reference lists from relevant reviews and full-text articles. Study Selection and Data Collection The review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and included primary intervention studies published within the past 10 years that examined soil-based garden interventions for adult cancer survivors. Findings Eight studies involving 634 participants were included in the review and three in the meta-analysis. Intervention duration ranged from 6 weeks to 1 year. Seven studies reported increased fruit and vegetable intake, whereas pain remained unchanged in five studies. Findings for psychosocial well-being and physical functioning were mixed. Three randomized controlled trials demonstrated significant pooled effects for physical health outcomes (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [−0.62, −0.13], Z = 3.02), physical performance (SMD = 0.19, 95% CI = [0.01 to 0.37], Z = 2.10), and lifestyle behaviors (SMD = 0.67, 95% CI = [0.27 to 1.06], Z = 3.32). No significant effect was found for psychosocial health outcomes. Conclusions and Relevance These preliminary findings suggest that garden-based horticultural therapy may support improvements in physical functioning and lifestyle behaviors among cancer survivors, though rigorous controlled trials are needed to confirm efficacy. Horticultural therapy warrants consideration as a complementary component of comprehensive occupation-based care to promote meaningful occupational engagement in this population.