Self-Rated Health and Social Exclusion: Does Gardening Moderate This Relation? Evidence from the German Ageing Survey

• Main Authors: André Hajek, Hans-Helmut König
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-05-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: social exclusion; social isolation; subjective health; self-rated health; gardening
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/10/1834
• ISSN: 1660-4601

The aim of the present study was to examine whether the association between self-rated health and social exclusion can be moderated by the frequency of gardening in the total sample and stratified by sex. Cross-sectional data employed in this study came from the fifth wave of the German Ageing Survey (<i>n</i> = 5048), a nationally representative sample comprising non-institutionalized individuals aged 40 and above. A single-item measure was used to quantify self-rated health (ranging from 1 = very good to 5 = very bad). An established scale developed by Bude and Lantermann was used to assess social exclusion. Moreover, individuals reported the frequency of work in the garden (daily; several times a week; once a week; 1-3 times a month; less often; never). Poorer self-rated health was associated with feelings of social exclusion. The frequency of gardening significantly moderated the association between these factors in women. This cross-sectional study emphasizes the moderating role of gardening in the relation between self-rated health and social exclusion in women. Longitudinal studies are required to validate the present findings.