Farms, Animals and Adolescents: Reinforcing the Microbiome

The overarching hypothesis for this study is that urban children exposed on a time-limited basis to a traditional farming environment will show increased beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome and enhanced emotional well-being. Secondary hypotheses are that 1) increased presence of farm-derived immunoregulatory micro-organisms in the nose (indicating exposure) will be associated with measures of emotional well-being and prosocial behavior. To test these hypotheses, 40 urban children ages 7-13 years will be studied prior to and following a 1, 2, or 3-week camp experience at the Heartland Farm Sanctuary summer camp program in Verona, WI. Assessments for behavior (via questionnaires), gut microbiota composition and function (via stool) and presence in the body of farm-derived immunoregulatory micro-organisms (via nasal swab) will be assessed at baseline (2 weeks before the start of camp and the weekend before camp starts), immediately following the child's 1, 2, or 3-week camp experience and at 1 month following completion of the camp experience. Importantly, this assessment schedule will allow the investigators to assess the longevity of any observed physical or behavioral changes induced by exposure to the farming environment.