A Singapore-based randomized controlled trial enrolled 137 community-dwelling adults aged 50-85 to test whether a 24-week urban care farming program improves quality of life and multiple health metrics. Participants were split between immediate intervention and waitlist control groups, with comprehensive assessments of physiological markers, cognition, frailty, and psychosocial outcomes measured at baseline, 6, and 12 months. This represents one of the first rigorous evaluations of urban agriculture as a structured health intervention for older adults. The approach addresses a critical gap in aging research by testing whether meaningful engagement with food production can serve as a multifaceted intervention targeting physical activity, social connection, cognitive stimulation, and sense of purpose simultaneously. While horticultural therapy has shown promise in smaller studies, this trial's scale and methodological rigor could establish urban farming as a scalable public health strategy. The intervention's potential lies in combining multiple aging-protective factors: regular physical movement, outdoor exposure, social interaction, and productive engagement. However, the study's observational nature limits causal inferences, and results may not generalize beyond Singapore's unique urban farming infrastructure. The ongoing analysis will determine whether this nature-based intervention merits broader implementation.
Urban Care Farming Trial Tests 24-Week Intervention for 137 Older Adults
📄 Based on research published in JMIR research protocols
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