The Effect of Flower Printing Activities on the Anxiety Levels of Elderly Nursing Home Residents: Randomized...

Gardening activities are an activity that contributes positively to the mental health of the elderly. Flower printing is a gardening activity that the elderly can easily implement. This study was conducted to determine the effect of flower printing activities on anxiety levels among elderly individuals in nursing homes.

This was a single blind randomized controlled experimental study. The research was conducted between January 1, 2023, and May 1, 2023. The study population consisted of 60 elderly nursing home residents, and the sample consisted of 42 elderly individuals who met the research criteria and agreed to participate. In the study, participants were assigned to the experimental and control groups by simple randomization method. The data were collected with the "Elderly Introduction Form," "Standardized Mini Mental Test," and "Geriatric Anxiety Scale." In this study, the elderly in the experimental group participated in flower printing activities for an average of 60 min once a week for 1 month. No intervention was administered to elderly participants in the control group during the study period. Institutional permission and ethics committee approval were obtained for the research.

There was no statistically significant difference between the pretest anxiety scores of the experimental and control groups (P = .880). A statistically significant difference was found between the post-test anxiety scores of the experimental and control groups (P < .001). A statistically significant difference was found between the pre-and post-test anxiety scores of the elderly in the experimental group (P < .001). There was no statistically significant difference between the pre-and post-test anxiety scores in the control group (P = .680).

Flower printing activities reduced anxiety levels in the experimental group. In accordance with this result, it is recommended that the elderly in nursing homes be exposed to flower printing activities as leisure activities, and similar studies should be carried out on those staying in different nursing homes. Elderly people's removal from routine through these activities and their increased social interactions with other people may be effective in reducing their anxiety levels. ClinicalTrials.gov: (NCT05834439).