Stay Healthy In Nature Everyday: Family Nature Outings in a Low Income Population — SHINE  

Physical Activity Clinical Trial

Official title: Stay Healthy In Nature Everyday: a Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effect of Family Nature Outings on Stress and Physical Inactivity in a Low Income Population

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The SHINE study is a randomized controlled study of the effect of a park-based family support group on multiple outcomes (including stress and physical activity) in a low income population.

Clinical Trial Description

Despite mounting evidence that nature matters for human health, we are not aware of any prospective intervention trials looking at the use of nature as a health intervention. Like other protective factors, such as the presence of a caring adult, safe play places, greater stimulation, the presence of green-space in a child's life has been empirically linked to greater resilience. Nature has been proposed as a buffer to stress through several pathways: by providing a space for friends and families to gather (thereby increasing social support and improving family relationships), by increasing opportunities for physical activity, and by improving cognition. Research to date suggests that participation in outdoor activities facilitates a sense of connectedness to place. This sense of attachment may also provide a form of social support. Families served by Children's Hospital Oakland Primary Care Clinic experience high levels of stress. As a safety-net clinic, the primary care clinic serves a diverse set of patients, with a common thread of poverty. The Stay Healthy In Nature program was developed to encourage stress management skills through play and physical activity in parks. The program uses a combination of facilitated and independent outings into local parks to encourage sustained behavior change and measurable health benefits. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Physical Activity
• Social Isolation
• Stress, Psychological

• NCT number: NCT02623855
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: July 2015
• Completion date: January 2017