The contribution of allotment gardening to health and wellbeing: A systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Introduction Allotment gardening is a popular pastime which anecdotally contributes to health and wellbeing, although the extent of supportive research evidence is unclear. This systematic review investigates the question: Does allotment gardening contribute to health and wellbeing? Method A systematic search was conducted, including the terms ‘allotment’, ‘garden’, ‘health’ and ‘wellbeing’. Abstracts of identified papers were compared with inclusion criteria, and 10 papers were finally selected. Critical appraisal and data extraction were conducted simultaneously. Qualitative research papers predominated and were analysed thematically. Resultant themes were compared and integrated with the findings of quantitative research papers. Findings Thematic analysis of the qualitative and quantitative papers’ findings revealed five distinct health and wellbeing themes. Allotment gardening provides a stress-relieving refuge, contributes to a healthier lifestyle, creates social opportunities, provides valued contact with nature, and enables self-development. Conclusion This review suggests that allotment gardening does indeed impact health and wellbeing. It is therefore recommended as occupational therapy for people with health problems, and as a health promoting occupation for the general population. Research particularly focused on the impact of group and therapeutic allotment gardening, so further investigations are recommended to explore the health promoting influences of everyday allotment gardening for individuals.