Biological and Behavioral Outcomes of Community Nature Walks

Stress, Psychological Clinical Trial

Official title:

Examining Anti-Racist Healing in Nature to Protect Telomeres of Transitional Age BIPOC for Health Equity

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT06056375
• Other study ID #: X21-013
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 1
• Start date: February 1, 2023
• Est. completion date: September 1, 2026

Study information

• Verified date: September 2023
• Source: San Francisco State University
• Contact: Charlotte Tate, Ph.D.
• Phone: (415) 338-2267
• Email: ctate2[@]sfsu.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The investigators will test the efficacy of our proposed intervention to reduce embodied stress in four racial/ethnic groups (Black, Latinx, Pilipinx, and Pacific Islander) as a preventative intervention for health disparities found in these communities. The intervention is comprised of two phases. The first consists of community nature walks in a pristine redwood forest for six months. This is followed by chosen nature activities with family and/or friends for three months. The investigators will test the ability of these activities in nature to reduce chronic stress that underpins many health disparities using validated biological, behavioral, and sociocultural measures. The use of these measures is in alignment with the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework, and will increase understanding of individual, interpersonal, community, and social level factors that lead to, and that can eliminate health disparities.

Description:

The investigators will test the efficacy of our proposed intervention to reduce embodied stress in four racial/ethnic groups (Black, Latinx, Pilipinx, and Pacific Islander) as a preventative intervention for health disparities found in these communities. The intervention is comprised of two phases. The first consists of community nature walks in a pristine redwood forest for six months. This is followed by chosen nature activities with family and/or friends for three months. The investigators will test the ability of these activities in nature to reduce chronic stress that underpins many health disparities using validated biological, behavioral, and sociocultural measures. The use of these measures is in alignment with the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework, and will increase understanding of individual, interpersonal, community, and social level factors that lead to, and that can eliminate health disparities.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 200
• Est. completion date: September 1, 2026
• Est. primary completion date: November 1, 2024
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion critieria:

• 18 years or older

• able to commit to a 9-month Nature Intervention (6-month walks; 3-month chosen nature activity)

• spoken languages: English, Spanish, or Tagalog

• able-bodied as in must be able to walk.

Exclusion criteria:

• pregnant women (and other gender identities who are pregnant)

• prisoners

• cognitively impaired

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Fractures, Stress
• Stress Reaction
• Stress, Psychological
• Telomere Shortening

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Reclaiming Nature Intervention
The purpose of the community intervention is to prevent health disparities in Black, Latinx, Pilipinx, and Pacific Islander communities of San Francisco, California.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	San Francisco State University	San Francisco	California

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Charlotte Tate	University of California, San Francisco

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Steps (number of)	total number of steps per day, assessed by Apple's Health Application on phones in the name of the outcome measure.	Baseline (pre-intervention), during intervention, immediate post-intervention, 3 months after intervention
Other	Heart rate (average of beats per minute over days)	average beats per minute over days assessed by rate hear application on phones	Baseline (pre-intervention), during intervention, immediate post-intervention, 3 months after intervention
Other	Sleep quality (extent of)	14-item Sleep Questionnaire (Likert-type self-reported measurement)	Baseline (pre-intervention), during intervention, immediate post-intervention, 3 months after intervention
Primary	Relative Telomere Length	Relative Telomere Length in the name of the outcome measure.	Baseline (pre-intervention), during intervention, immediate post-intervention, 3 months after intervention
Secondary	Hair cortisol concentration	Hair cortisol concentration in the name of the outcome measure.	Baseline (pre-intervention), during intervention, immediate post-intervention, 3 months after intervention
Secondary	Self-reported stress (extent of)	Cohen Stress Scale (Likert-type self-reported measurement) in the name of the outcome measure.	Baseline (pre-intervention), during intervention, immediate post-intervention, 3 months after intervention
Secondary	Positive mood (extent of)	Positive And Negative Affect Scale International version (PANAS-I) (Likert-type self-reported measurement)	Baseline (pre-intervention), during intervention, immediate post-intervention, 3 months after intervention