2026-10-07T02:26:24Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34054473 2026-10-02T05:35:45Z category_173 portal_316 item_type_3 month_year_10_2026

Data Sheet 1_Short-term responses across two sequential plant-based activity sessions: an exploratory fixed-order pilot study.pdf Li-li Chang (25162476) Yun-Hsien Ku (25162479) Chuen-Yu Chuang (25162482) Yu-Sen Chang (5734964) Applied Psychology DASS-21 electroencephalography equivalence testing heart-rate variability horticultural activity nature-based intervention pilot study state anxiety Background<p>Structured plant-based activities combine natural materials, purposeful manual work, sensory engagement, and social interaction, but direct comparisons of practical formats in community adults remain limited. We characterized short-term responses during two sequential sessions and compared within-session changes.</p>Methods<p>Twenty-five adults participated in a single-group, fixed-order pilot study. Session 1 involved horticultural crafting; 1 week later, Session 2 involved balm crafting followed by horticultural crafting. Twenty-three attended both sessions. DASS-21 and STAI-S were principal outcomes; horticultural wellbeing, HRV, and forehead single-channel EEG were exploratory. Within-session changes and complete-case between-session differences were estimated with 95% CIs. Post hoc TOST examined exploratory equivalence bounds.</p>Results<p>Both sessions were followed by favorable short-term psychological changes. DASS-21 scores decreased by 8.57 points in Session 1 [95% CI (5.41, 11.72), n = 23] and 5.53 in Session 2 [(2.65, 8.41), n = 17]. STAI-S scores decreased by 7.30 points in Session 1 [(5.23, 9.37), n = 25] and 6.86 in Session 2 [(4.07, 9.66), n = 22]; all four Holm-adjusted p values were <0.001. Complete-case comparisons showed no statistically detectable between-session difference in DASS-21 improvement [3.12 points, 95% CI (−1.51, 7.75)] or STAI-S improvement [0.34 points, (−3.15, 3.83)]. STAI-S changes met the exploratory TOST criterion only at the broad ±0.50 standardized bound. Horticultural wellbeing improved in both sessions; SDNN and RMSSD increased, whereas EEG findings did not remain significant after multiplicity correction.</p>Conclusion<p>Both sessions were associated with favorable short-term psychological changes, particularly reduced distress and state anxiety. These findings support the feasibility and potential value of brief, hands-on plant-based activities in community settings and provide estimates for larger randomized, counterbalanced trials. Given the fixed order and absence of a control group, the findings are preliminary rather than definitive causal or modality-specific evidence.</p> 2026-10-02T05:35:45Z Dataset Dataset 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1962154.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Data_Sheet_1_Short-term_responses_across_two_sequential_plant-based_activity_sessions_an_exploratory_fixed-order_pilot_study_pdf/34054473 CC BY 4.0