The Impact of Green Spaces on the General Well-being and Stress of Students: an Intervention Study
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 50
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- visual information processing speed
研究概览
简要总结
The number of students with psychological problems is on the rise, due to a combination of increasing performance pressure, high expectations, difficulties handling stress, social pressure, and studying. Spending time in a green space has been shown to have positive effects on the mental and general health. This project aims to alleviate the symptoms of mental fatigue and stress related disorders such as burn out in students by offering a nature-based activity.
Participants are asked to take a thirty-minute walk in a nature-based area for five consecutive days, followed by a control period (regular schedule of the participant) for five days, or vice versa. The investigators test stress-related parameters including concentration tests, cognitive tests, cortisol levels, and cardiovascular measurements.
详细描述
This project aims study the effectiveness of nature-based solutions on the prevention of stress-related symptoms due to high study pressure in students. A nature-based physical activity is recommended once a day to prevent stress build-up and positively influence the cardiovascular system. Participants are randomized into two groups: the first group of participants are asked to walk a nature-based route near the University campus for thirty minutes per day for two weeks (phase 1). After each activity-based phase, a washout period of one week is implemented to avoid carry-over of results (phase 2 and 4). In the third phase, the participants are asked to resume their daily activities for two weeks (control). The second group undergo the same phases but reversed: participants start with two weeks of their usual daily activities, followed by two weeks of nature-based activity. After each phase, the investigators measure neurocognition through neurocognitive tests, the emotional status through detailed questionnaires and assess stress levels through cardiovascular measurements, including salivary cortisol levels of saliva collected upon awakening, 30 min after waking and at 8 pm.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Crossover
- 主要目的
- Prevention
- 盲法
- None
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 —（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Student of Hasselt university or university college PXL and dutch speaking
排除标准
- 未提供
研究组 & 干预措施
Group 1: intervention/control group
Phase 1: Two weeks of green space intervention
Phase 2: One week wash out period Resume daily activities
Phase 3: Two weeks of 'daily activities' Regular, daily activities are resumed by the participants
Phase 4: One week wash out period Resume daily activities
Between each phase, detailed questionnaires, neurocognitive tests and cardiovascular measurements are taken from the participants.
干预措施: Nature based solution for stress reduction (Other)
Group 2: control/intervention group
Phase 1: Two weeks of 'daily activities' Regular, daily activities are resumed by the participants
Phase 2: One week wash out period Resume daily activities
Phase 3: Two weeks of green space intervention
Phase 4: One week wash out period Resume daily activities
Between each phase, detailed questionnaires, neurocognitive tests and cardiovascular measurements are taken from the participants.
干预措施: Nature based solution for stress reduction (Other)
结局指标
主要结局
visual information processing speed
时间窗: 5 minutes
Computerized tests (Digit Symbol Test). The scale is number of digits and is used as a continuous variable.
General health
时间窗: 5 minutes
An questionnaire is used to collect sociodemographic data and life-style factors, including movement data and health of the participant
cortisol level (stress levels)
时间窗: 5 minutes
Assessed by salivary cortisol levels. Scale is µg/dl and used as a continuous variable.
Blood pressure
时间窗: 5 minutes
Blood pressure is measured through an automated system. The results is used as a continuous variable in mmHg.
Stress levels
时间窗: 10 minutes
Assessed via questionnaires (the burn out assessment tool (score 1-5) and general health questionnaire (score 0-12) and Five Item Well Being Index (score 0-100). Scores are used as continuous variables. Lower scores represent a lower risk of burn out, higher scores represent a higher risk of burnout. The score is constructed from questions concerning exhaustion, mental distance, emotional disorder(s), and cognitive disorder(s).
visual memory
时间窗: 5 minutes
Computerized tests (eye-tracking test). The scale is pupil size, spontaneous blinking rate and eye movements and is used as a continuous variable.
selective attention
时间窗: 5 minutes
Computerized tests (stroop test). The scale is mean reaction time and is used as a continuous variable.
short-term memory
时间窗: 10minutes
Computerized tests (Digit Span Test). The scale is number of digits and is used as a continuous variable.
Heart rate variability
时间窗: 30 minutes
The heart rate is monitored throughout the entire baseline and follow-up visit through a small patch attached to the participant's skin. The results is used as a continuous variable in milliseconds (ms).
次要结局
未报告次要终点
研究者
Michelle Plusquin
assistant professor
Hasselt University