The Effects of Urban Farming on Well-Being of the Elderly: A Focus on Social, Psychological, and Environmental Well-Being

Abstract

This study examines the effect of urban farming on the well-being of the elderly, and with a focus on the effect of participation in urban farming on psychological well-being, and the mediating effects of social well-being and environmental well-being on that relationship. We surveyed individuals aged 55 or older residing in the Gyeonggi or Busan regions to measure their social well-being, psychological well- being, and environmental well-being. We conducted t-tests, correlation analyses, and regression analyses on a sample of 385 individuals, and our results were as follows. First, people who participated in urban farming reported a significantly higher level of social, psychological, and environmental well- being than those who did not. Second, social, psychological, and environmental well-being were related to each other in a statistically-significant way. However, age and well-being revealed a statistically negative relationship, as did the relationship between satisfaction with economic conditions and well-being. Third, our testing of mediating effects found that, regarding the effect of participation in urban farming on psychological well-being, social well-being was a complete mediator while environmental well-being was a partial mediator. These results suggest that urban farming enhances the well-being of the elderly, and the expansion of urban farming can be a viable component of improving welfare for the elderly. This study is also meaningful in that it investigates the social effects of urban farming, a topic that existing studies have not examined in depth. Index