Backyard Activities as Sources of Social and Personal Well-Being: A Study of the Mexican Population (Guasave, Sinaloa)

• Published in: Social sciences (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 9; p. 462
• Main Authors: Peinado-Guevara, Víctor Manuel, Peinado-Guevara, Héctor José, Sánchez-Alcalde, Mary Cruz, González-Félix, Griselda Karina, Herrera-Barrientos, Jaime, Ladrón de Guevara-Torres, María de los Ángeles, Cuadras-Berrelleza, Aldo Alán
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-09-2024
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Analysis; backyard activities; Backyard gardens; Consumption; COVID-19; economic growth; Food; Households; Livestock; Livestock farms; Medicinal plants; Medicine, Botanic; Medicine, Herbal; Municipalities; personal well-being; Polls & surveys; Population growth; Psychological aspects; Quality of life; Rural areas; Social aspects; social wellbeing; Sociodemographics; Stress (Psychology); Surveys; Mexico; Gulf of California
• DOI: 10.3390/socsci13090462
• EISSN: 2076-0760

Isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened daily tension, leading to stress and other illnesses. This research examined the impact of backyard activities on social and personal well-being, focusing on agricultural (gardens, vegetables, medicinal plants) and livestock activities (chickens, goats, sheep, cows). An exploratory study was conducted using a Likert-scale survey of 387 people, with 22 items covering economic growth, social well-being, and human development. The results showed that 50% of the respondents experienced pleasant emotions through sensory engagement with home gardens, leading to well-being, reduced anxiety and stress, better concentration, and improved family harmony. McDonald’s Omega (ω) value for item consistency was 0.964. Strong correlations were found between economic growth, social well-being, and human development with social and personal well-being, at 0.719, 0.819, and 0.812, respectively. These results are validated by an exploratory principal component factor analysis, which shows the correlation of the classes that integrate backyard activities on a principal axis. Backyard livestock activities had a lesser impact on personal and social well-being compared to agricultural activities, which were valued more for their economic and nutritional contributions. Thus, backyard activities, especially those involving home gardens, significantly enhance social and personal well-being alongside their economic and food benefits.