The Effects of Walking in Nature (vs. an Urban Setting) on the Wellbeing of Postsecondary Students.
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to examine the effects of a walking intervention (3 walks per week for a period of 4 weeks) in a nature vs. urban setting on the wellbeing of young adult postsecondary students. We will examine changes in positive and negative affect for participants assigned to the nature condition vs those assigned to the urban condition (primary outcome). We will also examine changes in reported depression and anxiety symptoms, perceived stress levels, sleep quality, mindfulness and wellbeing (secondary outcome).
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Nature condition Participants will walk in a nature setting 3x per week for a period of 4 weeks. |
Behavioral: A 4-week walking intervention
Participants will walk along a predetermined route 3 times per week for a period of 4 weeks, answering a pre- and post-intervention questionnaire as well as weekly questionnaires measuring their affect and other variables related to wellbeing. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions (nature vs urban setting), determining whether the predetermined route they will walk is in a nature or urban setting.
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| Experimental: Urban condition Participants will walk in an urban setting 3x per week for a period of 4 weeks. |
Behavioral: A 4-week walking intervention
Participants will walk along a predetermined route 3 times per week for a period of 4 weeks, answering a pre- and post-intervention questionnaire as well as weekly questionnaires measuring their affect and other variables related to wellbeing. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions (nature vs urban setting), determining whether the predetermined route they will walk is in a nature or urban setting.
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Change in baseline positive affect at 4 weeks [4 weeks (1x per week for 4 weeks)]
Measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Total scores range from 10-50 for positive affect, with higher scores indicating higher levels of positive affect (a better outcome).
- Change in baseline negative affect at 4 weeks [4 weeks (1x per week for 4 weeks)]
Measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Total scores range from 10-50 for negative affect, with higher scores indicating higher levels of negative affect (a worse outcome).
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Change in baseline depression symptoms at 5 weeks [5 weeks (1 week following completion of study intervention)]
Measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Items (PHQ-9), with total scores ranging from 0-27, with higher scores indicating more depressive symptoms (a worse outcome).
- Change in baseline anxiety symptoms at 5 weeks [5 weeks (1 week following completion of study intervention)]
Measured by the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), with total scores ranging from 0-21, with higher scores indicating greater severity in anxiety symptoms (a worse outcome).
- Change in baseline perceived stress levels at 5 weeks [5 weeks (1 week following completion of study intervention)]
Measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), with total scores ranging from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress (a worse outcome).
- Change in baseline sleep quality at 5 weeks [5 weeks (1 week following completion of study intervention)]
Measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), with total scores ranging from 0 to 21 with higher scores indicating worse sleep quality (a worse outcome).
- Change in baseline mindfulness at 5 weeks [5 weeks (1 week following completion of study intervention)]
Measured by the Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Each item is rated from 1 = rarely true to 5 = always true. Results comprise a total average score and 5 subscale scores. Average scores are calculated by summing the responses and dividing by the number of items. Higher scores indicate higher levels of mindfulness (a better outcome).
- Change in baseline levels of wellbeing at 5 weeks [5 weeks (1 week following completion of study intervention)]
Measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), with scores ranging from 14 to 70. Higher scores indicate greater positive mental wellbeing (a better outcome).
- Change in baseline non-suicidal self-injury at 5 weeks [5 weeks (1 week following completion of study intervention)]
We assessed Non-Suicidal Self-Injury using a question previously used with same-aged participants in the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development: "Sometimes, some people hurt themselves intentionally, even when they don't have the intention to kill themselves. Over the past two weeks, have you harmed yourself deliberately, without the intention to kill yourself?" rated from 1 = never to 4 = very often. High scores indicate greater frequency of non-suicidal self-injury (a worse outcome).
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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aged 18-25 years
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speaks English
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had working smartphone that can track walk routes using a smartphone application
Exclusion Criteria:
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inability to walk for 45 minutes due to serious medical reasons (eg surgery)
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heart condition
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douglas Mental Health University Institute | Montreal | Quebec | Canada | H4H 1R3 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- McGill University
Investigators
None specified.Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- IUSMD-18-33 Phase 2