Sauna for Offline Connections and Interactive, Authentic Living
NCT ID: NCT07223099
Last Updated: 2025-10-31
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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NOT_YET_RECRUITING
NA
15 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2026-01-03
2026-12-30
Brief Summary
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Participants will:
* Visit a sauna in San Francisco once per week for 2 hours by themselves or with a friend, for 8 weeks total
* Complete online surveys throughout their participation
The main question this pilot trial aims to answer are:
* To what extent do participants find the study design acceptable?
* To what extent do participants complete the weekly sauna visits?
* To what extent do participants complete the weekly online surveys?
Detailed Description
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Traditional sauna bathing is a social, mental, and physical health practice associated with greater mental wellness and active social engagement. Recent studies also suggest that thermal therapies, including sauna, may reduce depressive symptoms, which contribute to loneliness and social isolation. Sauna bathing is deeply integrated into the social fabric of several cultures, most notably Finland where it serves as a communal activity that fosters social connection and may help reduce loneliness.
Conditions
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Keywords
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Study Design
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NA
SINGLE_GROUP
OTHER
NONE
Study Groups
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Sauna Visits
Participants will complete 2-hour visits, by themselves or with another person of their choosing, to a local sauna in San Francisco for 8 weeks.
Sauna Visits
Weekly 2-hour visits to a sauna in San Francisco by themselves or with one person of their choice for 8 weeks.
Interventions
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Sauna Visits
Weekly 2-hour visits to a sauna in San Francisco by themselves or with one person of their choice for 8 weeks.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* English-speaking
* Able to provide written informed consent
* Graduated from high school or high school equivalent
* Elevated level of loneliness
* Able and willing to receive study text messages
* Able to attend weekly in-person sauna visits in San Francisco, CA
Exclusion Criteria
* Pregnancy, active lactation, or intention to become pregnant during the study period
* Regular use of any nicotine products, including cigarettes, vapes, chewing tobacco, or other forms of nicotine (if use is not regular, must be willing to refrain for 24 hours before and 24 hours after sauna visits)
* Current social heat practices 2 or more times per month (e.g., visiting sauna or hot tub facilities with others present)
* Unwilling to refrain from using marijuana products and alcohol for the 24 hours before and 24 hours after sauna visits
* Unwilling to refrain from heavy exercise on the day of sauna visits
* Any medical condition that, in the opinion of investigators, may increase the risk of sauna use or introduce excessive variance into physiological or behavioral responses to sauna visits
* Use of any medication that might impact thermoregulatory capacity or that, in the opinion of investigators, would increase risk of study participation or introduce excessive variance into physiological or behavioral responses to sauna visits
19 Years
22 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
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Tiny Blue Dot Foundation
OTHER
University of California, San Francisco
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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Ashley E Mason, PhD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
University of California, San Francisco
Locations
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Osher Center for Integrative Health
San Francisco, California, United States
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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Sarah M Fisher, MS
Role: primary
References
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Laukkanen JA, Kunutsor SK. The multifaceted benefits of passive heat therapies for extending the healthspan: A comprehensive review with a focus on Finnish sauna. Temperature (Austin). 2024 Feb 25;11(1):27-51. doi: 10.1080/23328940.2023.2300623. eCollection 2024.
Patrick RP, Johnson TL. Sauna use as a lifestyle practice to extend healthspan. Exp Gerontol. 2021 Oct 15;154:111509. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2021.111509. Epub 2021 Aug 5.
Related Links
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Link to online screening survey
Other Identifiers
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SOCIAL
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id