The purpose of the study was to reveal positive psychological and therapeutic horticultural factors that improve the quality of life for elderly women. After IRB certification, we recruited 40 elderly (over age 65) women from Ilsan Presbyterian Church who volunteered to join this study during July and August 2016. They were divided into 2 groups of 20 (control and experimental). The experimental group was subjected to eight weeks’ positive horticultural therapeutic programs with such content as the ‘making of dry-flower name tags, earthenware flowerpots, flavor pockets, flower arrangements in cups, dry-flower fans, flower baskets, grass dolls, and praise bouquets.’ No treatment was given for the control group. Afterwards, evaluation was conducted via a questionnaire for such characteristics as self-respect, satisfaction, personality and talent. The data were collected and analysed by use of ‘SPSS version 21.0 program’. Much higher scores were revealed in the experimental group after 8 weeks’ horticultural therapy in comparison with the control group. Most of the high scores were in areas related to “Self-Respect Among the Elderly Women,” such as ‘self-confidence, cooperative mind, optimistic mind, satisfaction, self-respect, presence, positive outlook, accomplishment, and sense of excellence’(p＜0.01). Also for the experimental group, there were high level scores in the items of the “Satisfaction with Elderly Women’s Lives,” such as with ‘sense of regret, sense of failure, boredom/tedium, sense of fatigue, suffering, anger and annoyance, sense of dissatisfaction, melancholy, and despair,’ after 8 weeks’ on the horticultural therapeutics program(p＜0.01). The experimental group also showed high levels scores in most items of the “Personality and Talent in Elderly Women” such as in ‘the pursuit of meaning, personal relationships, reliability, sincerity/acceptance, compassion, sympathy, being earnest, responsibility, self-awareness, altruism, respect & praise for others, and grace’(p＜0.01). Subjects’ responses for the experimental group after PHTP were as follows: ‘happiness, hope, and gratitude‘ at 20.0%,’brighter outlook‘ at 15.0%,’love and learning’ at 10.0%, and ’grace‘ at 5.0%. Results of the positive horticultural therapeutics showed its effectiveness in improving the quality of life for elderly women. Therefore, we recommend performing and gradually expanding the program for other groups of elderly women.

• Sung Ju Han(Dept. of Public Health, Graduate School, Dankook University) | 한성주 Corresponding author