To investigate the effect of a 12-week structured community horticultural therapy program on cognitive function and activities of daily living (ADL) in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 126 community-dwelling older adults with MCI were recruited from Cuqiao Subdistrict, Wuhou District, Chengdu, China. Recruitment took place between March and September 2025, and participants were randomized at a 1:1 ratio into an intervention group (n=63) and a control group (n=63). The control group received routine community health education and recreational activities, while the intervention group additionally received a 12-week structured horticultural therapy program (90 min per session, twice weekly). The curriculum progressed through sensory awakening, planting, maintenance, and harvest-based creative workshops, with each participant caring for the same potted plant from sowing through to indigo leaf printing, herbal bead bracelet making, and pressed-flower framing. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and week 12 using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Beijing version (MoCA-BJ), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Barthel Index (BI), Lawton Instrumental ADL (IADL) scale, and the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). A total of 116 participants completed the study (intervention group n=59; control group n=57). In week 12, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvements than the control group in MoCA-BJ total score (21.4±2.3 to 23.9±2.4 vs. 21.6±2.2 to 22.0±2.3), MMSE (25.7±1.5 to 26.9±1.3 vs. 25.5±1.6 to 25.8±1.4), BI (92.4±5.6 to 95.8±4.3 vs. 92.8±5.2 to 93.1±5.0), IADL (5.8±1.2 to 6.9±1.0 vs. 5.7±1.1 to 5.9±1.2), and GDS-15 (7.2±2.6 to 4.8±2.2 vs. 7.1±2.5 to 6.8±2.4), all p<0.01. Attention was the cognitive domain with the most robust improvement, with additional mild gains in delayed recall, orientation, visuospatial/executive function, language, and abstraction. The 12-week community horticultural therapy program produced multidimensional benefits for cognitive function, ADL, and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults with MCI, and is suitable for implementation in urban community eldercare settings.
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Du, K. (2026) Effect of a 12-week Community Horticultural Therapy Program on Cognitive Function and Activities of Daily Living in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Disease and Public Health, 2(4), 1-7.