MIYASHITA,Y, MISHIMA,K, IWASAKI,Y
Hort Reserch 66(66) 61-68 2012年 査読有り最終著者責任著者
Improvement in the medical environment is an important social problem as the Japanese population becomesincreasingly elderly. This study investigated the current situation of trees, flowers, and greenery surroundingmedical facilities and the awareness of patients and staff regarding the horticultural aspects of hospitalsurroundings. Among the six hospitals studied, tree density was the lowest and awareness of fl owers and greenerywas the highest at hospital E, where horticultural activities were performed by the staff. Therefore, the effects offl owers and greenery on the psychological and physiological conditions of the staff in hospital E were measuredusing questionnaire and interview surveys and salivary amylase concentrations. Staff stress was lower, bothpsychologically and physiologically, after performance of horticultural activities than before; i.e., a stress reducingeffect of these activities was confirmed. The results of the questionnaire and interview surveys revealed that agreater number of staff felt pleasure after horticultural activities than before. Therefore, horticultural activitiesimproved the hospital staff's psychological and physiological conditions. Maintaining the hospital green spacesthrough horticultural activities also raised the hospital staff's awareness of fl owers and greenery.