Analysis of Horticultural Activity Programs in Research Articles on Horticultural Therapy for Children in Korean Journals

Background and objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the current research trends in horticultural therapy for children by examining articles published in Korean journals over the past 20 years. Methods: A total of 76 experimental articles from 22 journals were analyzed to determine the publication status, horticultural activity programs, and plant species used in the programs. Results: The results showed that the Journal of People, Plants, and Environment (57.9%) and horticulture majors (43.4%) showed the biggest number of publications of articles related to horticultural therapy for children. Most horticultural activity programs for children consisted of 11 to 15 sessions (36.4%), held once a week (61.0%), and lasted for ten weeks or less (33.8%), with each session lasting 31 to 60 minutes (53.2%). Most programs had groups of ten or fewer participants (40.3%) and were conducted indoors (75.3%). Although the activities varied among journals and authors’ majors, arts and crafts activities (41.5%) were the most common type of horticultural activity program for children. The analysis of plant species used in horticultural activities for children revealed that flowers were the most frequently used (49.5%), followed by vegetables (19.4%). Regarding the types of plant usage, cut flowers (33.5%) and seedlings (33.1%) were most frequently used, which is because cut flowers were mostly used in arts and crafts, and seedlings in cultivation activities. However, 53.8% of the plant materials were not clearly identified in the articles, indicating a lack of consideration for the plant materials used. According to the analysis of the sources of plants used in the horticultural activities, over 80% of flowers and 60% of vegetables were obtained through purchase for the program. Conclusion: In conclusion, it is necessary to increase the ratio of plant cultivation and observation activities to preserve the essence of horticultural therapy, as well as to select suitable plant species and develop effective programs for horticultural therapy to bring various beneficial effects to children.