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

NCT ID: NCT05249296

Last Updated: 2022-02-21

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2020-02-10
• Study Completion Date: 2022-12-31

Brief 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.

Detailed 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.

Conditions

Stress; Neurocognition; Psychological; Cardiovascular

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

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.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Nature based solution for stress reduction

Intervention Type: OTHER

participation in nature activities: daily 30 min walking in nature

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.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Nature based solution for stress reduction

Intervention Type: OTHER

participation in nature activities: daily 30 min walking in nature

Interventions

Nature based solution for stress reduction

participation in nature activities: daily 30 min walking in nature

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Student of Hasselt university or university college PXL and dutch speaking

Exclusion Criteria

-

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Hasselt University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Michelle Plusquin

assistant professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Michelle Plusquin

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Hasselt University

Locations

Hasselt University

Hasselt, Limburg, Belgium

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Belgium

Central Contacts

Michelle Plusquin

Role: CONTACT

michelle.plusquin@uhasselt.be

+3211268289

Tim Nawrot

Role: CONTACT

tim.nawrot@uhasselt.be

+3211268382

Facility Contacts

Kenneth Vanbrabant

Role: primary

Kenneth.vanbrabant@uhasselt.be

+32493714758

Rossella Alfano

Role: backup

rossella.alfano@uhasselt.be

+3211268529

Other Identifiers

Nature_Stress

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id