Biodiversity Interventions for Assisted Living Centers
- Conditions
- Microbial ColonizationNature, HumanAutism Spectrum DisorderVisual ImpairmentWell-Being, PsychologicalImmune System and Related Disorders
- Interventions
- Other: Rewilding
- Registration Number
- NCT06390683
- Lead Sponsor
- Natural Resources Institute Finland
- Brief Summary
Biodiversity is essential for nature and human well-being. Land use has reduced biodiversity in cities, which weakens the functionality of the urban ecosystems and the well-being of citizens. This may also increase the risk of immune-mediated disorders among urban dwellers.
In Biodiversity interventions for assisted living centers (BIWE 2), microbial biodiversity interventions are performed to increase biodiversity in urban housing units for people with autism spectrum disorder, disabled people and elderly. Results from the intervention trials are combined with publicly available land cover and ecological data. These are analyzed from the viewpoint of shifts in ecosystems and human well-being and immune regulation, ecological quality, and urban planning.
The investigators set up an intervention study in which yards of the housing units are rewilded with diverse vegetation and decaying deadwood and plant residuals. The investigators aim to evaluate the effect of rewilding, and yard management practices on commensal microbiome, cortisol levels and well-being and salivary cytokine levels, and gene pathways.
- Detailed Description
Our specific aims are:
To assess if rewilding diversifies health-associated skin microbiota and is associated with salivary cytokine levels, gene pathways, cortisol levels and commensal microbiota.
Assess whether there are patterns in the microbiome associated with the salivary cytokine levels and hair cortisol levels.
Assess whether rewilding affects health and psychological measures. The investigators will recruit approximately 36 study subjects living in assisted housing units in urban areas and aged between 18-82.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 36
- Person lives in assisted living center
- Immunosuppressive medications
- Immune deficiencies
- a disease affecting immune response (colitis ulcerosa, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, diabetes)
- cancer diagnosis within the last year or on-going cancer treatment
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- SINGLE_GROUP
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Rewilding Rewilding Yards of the housing units are rewilded with vegetation, deadwood and plant residuals.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Skin Gammaproteobacteria Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year Change in skin gammaproteobacterial diversity
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Saliva gene pathways Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year Changes in salivary gene pathways are analyzed with shotgun sequencing.
Salivary cytokines Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year Interleukin-6 and -10 measured from saliva
Saliva microbiota Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year Changes in saliva microbiota are analyzed with shotgun sequencing.
Cortisol levels Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year Cortisol levels measured from hair samples
Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year Increase in Warwick-Edinburhg Mental Wellbeing scale score during the study period that indicates better mental well-being. Minimum 14, maximum 70.
Perceived Stress Scale Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year Decrease in perceived stress scale score during the study period that indicates lower perceived stress levels. Minimum 0, maximum 40.
Nature Relatedness Scale Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year Increase in Nature Relatedness scale during the study period that indicates stronger sense of connectedness to nature. Minimum 6, maximum 30.
Skin bacteria Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year Changes in skin bacteria are analyzed with Illumina 16s rRNA sequencing.
Depression Scale Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year Decrease in depression scale score during the study period that indicates lower levels of depression symptoms. Minimum 0, maximum 70.
Changes in nature contacts Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year Increase in time that study subjects are in contact with nature during the study period.
Infectious diseases Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year Infectious diseases are recorded with questionnaires.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Natural Resources Institute Finland
🇫🇮Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland