Table 3.
Factor analysis of the gardening benefits questionnaire items showing item mean across number of participants, item loading, factor mean, reliability and percentage of variance explained by factor.
| Scale domain/item | Factor loading | Item mean | Scale mean | SD | Valid cases | Alpha | % variance explained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factor 1: Restoration benefits | 3.99 | 0.63 | 298 | .91 | 32.68 | ||
| Q1_When I am stressed I know I can go to the garden and feel relaxed | 0.73 | 4.21 | 0.74 | 320 | |||
| Q2_When my mood is low, the garden is one of the best places for me | 0.72 | 4.17 | 0.76 | 320 | |||
| Q3_When I am in the garden I feel a sense of peace | 0.70 | 4.32 | 0.69 | 320 | |||
| Q23_If I have a problem to think about, I go to my garden and it helps me cope better | 0.65 | 3.59 | 0.89 | 316 | |||
| Q22_When I’m feeling bored, I go to my garden and it relieves the boredom | 0.65 | 3.77 | 0.95 | 311 | |||
| Q21_If I’m feeling down I go to the garden and it lifts my spirits | 0.61 | 4.00 | 0.78 | 317 | |||
| Q24_I feel rejuvenated when I am in the garden | 0.60 | 3.98 | 0.79 | 315 | |||
| Q28_I garden for relaxation | 0.53 | 3.97 | 0.78 | 315 | |||
| Factor 2: Attachment | 4.34 | 0.54 | 314 | .85 | 6.99 | ||
| Q26_I would feel very unhappy if I had to stop gardening in the near future | 0.75 | 4.30 | 0.77 | 320 | |||
| Q5_If I did not have this garden to come back to I would miss it | 0.67 | 4.47 | 0.68 | 320 | |||
| Q11_I feel much attached to my garden | 0.67 | 4.21 | 0.70 | 316 | |||
| Q20_If I had to leave this garden, it would be important for me to continue to garden elsewhere | 0.65 | 4.36 | 0.70 | 318 | |||
| Q9_It makes me happy to be in the garden | 0.61 | 4.37 | 0.58 | 320 | |||
| Factor 3: Physical benefits | 4.06 | 0.59 | 307 | .86 | 5.64 | ||
| Q31_Gardening helps keep my physically active/fit | 0.78 | 4.05 | 0.74 | 318 | |||
| Q29_When I am gardening, I feel the physical benefits | 0.76 | 4.07 | 0.73 | 314 | |||
| Q36_Gardening for me is an outlet for physical activity/exercise | 0.75 | 3.96 | 0.78 | 316 | |||
| Q27_I enjoy gardening because it keeps me physically active | 0.74 | 4.29 | 0.72 | 319 | |||
| Q33_I know that I sleep better after being active in the garden | 0.45 | 3.88 | 0.79 | 319 | |||
| Factor 4: Spirituality benefits | 3.67 | 0.70 | 304 | .85 | 4.85 | ||
| Q16_I feel a sense of spirituality when I am in the garden | 0.89 | 3.46 | 0.98 | 312 | |||
| Q25_I feel a spiritual connection to the garden | 0.85 | 3.50 | 0.95 | 309 | |||
| Q4_I feel a sense of spiritual healing when I am in the garden | 0.87 | 3.71 | 1.00 | 313 | |||
| Q17_The garden holds many special memories for me | 0.55 | 3.77 | 0.91 | 318 | |||
| Q18_Gardening helps me to feel connected to the outside world | 0.44 | 3.66 | 0.90 | 313 | |||
| Q32_I have lots of good memories associated with my garden | 0.44 | 3.95 | 0.79 | 319 | |||
| Factor 5: Social benefits | 3.80 | 0.82 | 305 | .82 | 3.96 | ||
| Q13_Gardening has helped me to meet new people | 0.86 | 3.67 | 1.05 | 318 | |||
| Q14_I have met or maintained friends through my gardening activities | 0.83 | 3.62 | 1.08 | 316 | |||
| Q10_My gardening gives me a common interest to talk about with others | 0.60 | 4.12 | 0.68 | 316 | |||
| Factor 6: Identity benefits | 3.97 | 0.60 | 308 | .82 | 3.47 | ||
| Q19_I love the way my garden looks | 0.76 | 3.84 | 0.84 | 317 | |||
| Q35_I feel a sense of pride from my garden | 0.74 | 4.12 | 0.69 | 319 | |||
| Q34_My garden feels vibrant and alive | 0.56 | 3.94 | 0.72 | 315 | |||
| Q41_I feel that my garden is a part of me | 0.40 | 3.98 | 0.74 | 314 | |||
| Factor 7: Purpose | 3.58 | 0.65 | 305 | .61 | 3.12 | ||
| Q39_My appetite increases after being active in the garden | 0.71 | 3.37 | 0.87 | 314 | |||
| Q38_Growing vegetables, herbs or fruit for use is the most rewarding aspect of gardening for me | 0.68 | 3.47 | 0.99 | 309 | |||
| Q40_My gardening activities give me a sense of purpose | 0.44 | 3.90 | 0.71 | 315 | |||
| Factor 8: Shared experience | 3.57 | 0.86 | 313 | .71 | 2.74 | ||
| Q8_Gardening is more enjoyable if it is shared with someone else | 0.87 | 3.63 | 0.99 | 319 | |||
| Q12_I enjoy sharing the active task of gardening with others | 0.76 | 3.50 | 0.96 | 313 |
SD: standard deviation.
Each item was measured on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 = ‘strongly disagree’ to 5 = ‘strongly agree’.