Student well-being, encompassing mental, social, cognitive, and behavioral domains, is increasingly compromised by academic stress, social isolation, and sedentary lifestyles. Horticulture-based interventions (HBIs), involving plant-based activities, have shown potential in promoting holistic health across populations. Nevertheless, no systematic review has synthesized global evidence for its effects on students. This systematic review aimed to evaluate HBI’s impact on students’ well-being, synthesizing global evidence to inform educational and therapeutic practices. This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251250712). Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and APA PsycInfo from inception to 30 June 2025. Keywords were used to search for related articles. Fifteen studies (n > 2000 students, aged 5–18 years) from South Korea (n = 8), Taiwan (n = 3), Chinese Mainland (n = 1), Hong Kong, China (n = 1), Italy (n = 1), and the United States (n = 1) were included for analysis. Results showed that HBI has the potential to enhance emotional/psychological well-being (e.g., stress reduction, mood improvement), social well-being (e.g., peer relations, social skills), cognitive and education benefits (e.g., attention, academic attitudes), and physical and overall health benefits (e.g., physical activity, quality of life). HBI may contribute to multifaceted student well-being, particularly emotional and social domains. This systematic review provides a reference for educators to integrate horticultural programs into the curriculum. Government and school policies may consider funding school gardens. Future randomized controlled trials with diverse populations are needed to address limitations like small samples and geographic bias.
Chan et al. (Sun,) studied this question.
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