The Impact of Green Spaces on the General Well-being and Stress of Students

Stress Clinical Trial

Official title:

The Impact of Green Spaces on the General Well-being and Stress of Students: an Intervention Study

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05249296
• Other study ID #: Nature_Stress
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: February 10, 2020
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2022

Study information

• Verified date: February 2022
• Source: Hasselt University
• Contact: Michelle Plusquin
• Phone: +3211268289
• Email: michelle.plusquin[@]uhasselt.be
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

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.

Description:

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.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 50
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2022
• Est. primary completion date: December 30, 2022
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Student of Hasselt university or university college PXL and dutch speaking Exclusion Criteria: -

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cardiovascular
• Neurocognition
• Psychological
• Stress

Intervention

Other:
• Nature based solution for stress reduction
participation in nature activities: daily 30 min walking in nature

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Belgium	Hasselt University	Hasselt	Limburg

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Hasselt University

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Belgium, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	General health	An questionnaire is used to collect sociodemographic data and life-style factors, including movement data and health of the participant	5 minutes
Primary	Stress levels	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).	10 minutes
Primary	cortisol level (stress levels)	Assessed by salivary cortisol levels. Scale is µg/dl and used as a continuous variable.	5 minutes
Primary	visual memory	Computerized tests (eye-tracking test). The scale is pupil size, spontaneous blinking rate and eye movements and is used as a continuous variable.	5 minutes
Primary	selective attention	Computerized tests (stroop test). The scale is mean reaction time and is used as a continuous variable.	5 minutes
Primary	short-term memory	Computerized tests (Digit Span Test). The scale is number of digits and is used as a continuous variable.	10minutes
Primary	visual information processing speed	Computerized tests (Digit Symbol Test). The scale is number of digits and is used as a continuous variable.	5 minutes
Primary	visual information processing speed	Computerized tests (Pattern Comparison test). The scale is reaction time and is used as a continuous variable.	5 minutes
Primary	Heart rate variability	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).	30 minutes
Primary	Blood pressure	Blood pressure is measured through an automated system. The results is used as a continuous variable in mmHg.	5 minutes