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With population aging, increasing numbers of elderly people in Japan are expected to enter aged care facilities (ACFs). Although research has shown that access to community gardens (CGs) is generally beneficial to older people's psychological well-being, the mechanisms by which the usage and quality of CGs influence the well-being of older adults in ACFs remain insufficiently studied. Therefore, this study aims to explore the associations between garden factors (i.e., garden visit frequency and perceived garden quality) and older adults' psychological well-being outcomes (i.e., positive well-being and self-rated health) and to investigate the mediating role of neighborhood social environment factors (i.e., outing frequency, social participation, perceived neighborhood social cohesion, and perceived neighborhood attachment) in these associations. We conducted a questionnaire survey with 322 older adults from twelve elderly housing with care services (EHCSs) in the Tokyo metropolitan area (TMA) of Japan. The multiple regression models showed that both garden factors were positively associated with positive well-being and self-rated health. The parallel mediation models showed that higher garden visit frequency and perceived garden quality were associated with higher outing frequency and perceived neighborhood social cohesion and, in turn, with higher positive well-being. Moreover, higher garden visit frequency and perceived garden quality were associated with greater social participation and thereby with better self-rated health; higher perceived garden quality was also associated with higher perceived neighborhood attachment and thus with better self-rated health. Our findings elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying the beneficial associations between CGs and the psychological well-being of older adults in ACFs, emphasizing the important role of cultivating friendly social environments in CGs in enhancing healthy aging. • Garden factors were positively correlated with positive well-being and self-rated health. • Outing frequency and neighborhood social cohesion mediated the associations of garden factors with positive well-being. • Social participation mediated the association of garden visit frequency and perceived garden quality with self-rated health. • Perceived neighborhood attachment mediated the association of perceived garden quality with self-rated health. • Links between CGs and the psychological well-being of EHCS residents were not moderated by socioeconomic variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of elderly people are living in aged care facilities in Japan, a country that is facing a globally unprecedented challenge of population aging. Due to the declining health status and mobility limitations of older adults, community gardens (CGs) are crucial for giving residents in aged care facilities contact with nature. However, there is a lack of research on the characteristics and perceptions of CGs in aged care facilities in Japan and how these factors can influence the use of and attitude toward CGs. In this study, a questionnaire was developed and sent to the managers of elderly housing with care services (EHCS) across the Tokyo metropolitan area (TMA) in Japan in 2020. The aim of the study was to examine the effects of the characteristics and perceptions of CGs on the frequency of gardening activities, leisure activities, and attitudes toward gardening activities. Data were collected from 44 EHCS managers and were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results indicated that the use of gardens (frequency of gardening activities, absence of leisure activities) was positively associated with the garden area, the number of garden equipment types, the presence of barrier-free design elements, interaction, community aesthetics, and a sufficient number of participants. Compared to a low frequency of gardening activities, a high frequency of gardening activities was also associated with a decreased building age and improved education about agriculture. The managers with negative attitudes had gardens managed only by residents, and they showed more concern about the reduced attractiveness of CGs and insufficient members. The study provides significant lessons for policy makers and facility managers to focus on the development of strategies that will establish and strengthen the cooperation between aged care facilities and community agencies and organizations to encourage community members to engage in CGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]