Positive Health Effects of the Natural Outdoor Environment in Typical Populations in Different Regions in Europe. Work Package 4: Therapeutic Study in Barcelona
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Poor Mental Health
- Sponsor
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health
- Enrollment
- 26
- Primary Endpoint
- Change from Baseline heart rate at 210 min
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 8 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The study aimed to explore therapeutic effects of natural environments. To do so, the investigators evaluated the immediate and sustained changes in several indicators of well-being while people (n=26) with poor mental health were engaged in unconstrained exposures to natural (green, blue) and urban environments. The indicators included: affection, cognition, physiological responses.
Each participant was exposed to all environments for a period of 210 minutes between October 2013 and January 2014. During the exposure period, participants were instructed to do what they would usually do in that environment. Before, during (at 30 and 210 minutes) and after each exposure, several psycho-physiological measures were taken: (i) heart rate variability and heart rate using a Holter monitor, (ii) blood pressure using a digital blood pressure monitor, (iii) physical activity using the CalFIT application installed in a Smartphone, (iv) lung function using a portable computerized spirometer, (v) stress level using salivary cortisol samples collected using Salivettes, (vi) affect, perceived restoration and social interactions using questionnaires, (vii) cognitive functioning using the backwards digit-span task test.
Investigators
Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
Air Pollution and Urban Environment program coordinator
Barcelona Institute for Global Health
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •MHI-5 scored in the lower 50th percentile of the Barcelona city PHENOTYPE sample
- •willing to participate
Exclusion Criteria
- •no able to walk for 30 minutes at self-directed pace.
- •with chest, abdomen surgery or heart attack during the last three months.
- •with retinal detachment or eyes surgery or hospitalized for heart problem during the last month.
- •with tuberculosis treatment, or respiratory infection during the last three weeks.
- •being asthmatic or pregnant
- •using inhaler the 24 hours previous to the study day.
- •taking medication different from the usual the 24 hours previous to the study day.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change from Baseline heart rate at 210 min
Time Frame: after 210 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment
Change from blood pressure at 210min
Time Frame: after 210 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment
Change from Baseline heart rate at 30 min
Time Frame: after 30 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment
Change from Baseline heart rate variability at 30 min
Time Frame: after 30 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment
Change from stress level at 30min (salivary cortisol)
Time Frame: after 30 of exposure to green/blue/urban environment
Change from affect at 30 min (BRUMS/POMS)
Time Frame: after 30 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment
Change from Baseline heart rate variability at 210 min
Time Frame: after 210 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment
Change from blood pressure at 30min
Time Frame: after 30 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment
Change from stress level at 210min (salivary cortisol)
Time Frame: after 210 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment
Change from affect at 210 min (BRUMS/POMS)
Time Frame: after 210 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment
Change from cognitive functioning at 210 min (backward digit span task)
Time Frame: after 210 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment
Change from cognitive functioning at 30 min (backward digit span task)
Time Frame: after 30 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment
Secondary Outcomes
- ambient air pollution exposure 210 (PM2.5)(During the first 210 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment)
- personal air pollution (CO, NO, NO2)(During all the data collection day)
- objectively measured physical activity 30(During the first 30 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment)
- perceived restoration 30 (ROS - Korpela's Restoration outcome scale)(after 30 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment)
- subjectively recorded social interactions 30(after 30 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment)
- ambient air pollution exposure 30 (PM2.5)(During the first 30 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment)
- perceived restoration 210 (ROS- Korpela's Restoration outcome scale)(after 210 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment)
- objectively measured physical activity 210(During the first 210 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment)
- subjectively recorded social interactions 210(after 210 minutes of exposure to green/blue/urban environment)