The Effectiveness of 3DVR Horticultural Therapy on Older Adults

National Taiwan Normal University106 enrolled

Overview

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

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.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

106

Conditions

Physical Health Mental Health

Interventions

Three-dimensional Virtual Reality and Horticultural TherapyOTHER

VR is a realistic, three-dimensional, and virtual environment formed by a combination of computer software and hardware

Eligibility

Sex: ALLHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

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.

Locations (1)

National Taiwan Normal University,

Taipei, Taiwan

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

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.

Time frame: 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.

Time frame: 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.

Time frame: 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.

Time frame: 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.

Time frame: Two months

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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