Effects of Forest Bathing in Vancouver, B.C. Parks

Sponsor
University of British Columbia (Other)
Overall Status
Recruiting
CT.gov ID
NCT05502588
Collaborator
(none)
100
4
2
8.3
25
3

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

This study aims to investigate environmental factors that influence people's responses to the Japanese practice of forest bathing in Vancouver, B.C. parks.

Condition or Disease Intervention/Treatment Phase
  • Behavioral: Self-Guided Forest Bathing
  • Behavioral: Guided Forest Bathing
N/A

Detailed Description

The primary research aim is to investigate the relationship between biotic and abiotic factors in a sample of Vancouver, B.C. forested parks and specific health-related outcomes after forest bathing interventions. Forest bathing programs are a promising therapeutic method for enhancing heart rate and blood pressure functions and an effective psychological relaxation strategy. This study will investigate changes in autonomic nervous system activity and mood states after a 60-90 minute forest bathing program in four Vancouver, B.C. parks. Approximately 100 adult participants will be recruited for the study and participate in four sessions over one year. Physiological responses, pulse rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV), and psychological indices will be measured before and after each session.

The health effects of forest-based interventions will vary due to environmental factors such as weather, temperature, humidity, light, and participants' psychological and physiological states. We are taking measurements pre- and post-treatment to detect any change in response during each session and seasonally.

Primary endpoint is to determine if the guided walk provides greater enhanced heart rate and blood pressure functions and an effective psychological relaxation strategy over the self-guided walk.

Secondary endpoints: 1) to determine if participants living in neighborhoods with below average street trees receive greater benefits than participants that live in neighborhoods with average or above average street trees, 2) assess changes within the same individuals over time 3) if there are different outcomes seasonally 4) if there are different outcomes between study sites.

Study Design

Study Type:
Interventional
Anticipated Enrollment :
100 participants
Allocation:
Randomized
Intervention Model:
Crossover Assignment
Intervention Model Description:
Participants are invited four times over one year to a forest bathing session that takes place on a barrier-free Vancouver, B.C. park trail. Each session is 2-hours including time for pre-test and post-test health measurements. At the study site participants will be randomized in 1:1 ratio to guided forest bathing walk or self-guided forest bathing walk. Subsequent sessions will be counterbalanced.Participants are invited four times over one year to a forest bathing session that takes place on a barrier-free Vancouver, B.C. park trail. Each session is 2-hours including time for pre-test and post-test health measurements. At the study site participants will be randomized in 1:1 ratio to guided forest bathing walk or self-guided forest bathing walk. Subsequent sessions will be counterbalanced.
Masking:
Single (Participant)
Masking Description:
At the study site participants will be randomized in 1:1 ratio to guided forest bathing walk or self-guided forest bathing walk.
Primary Purpose:
Health Services Research
Official Title:
Effects of Forest Bathing and Environmental Factors on Individual Health Responses in Vancouver, B.C. Parks
Actual Study Start Date :
Apr 22, 2022
Anticipated Primary Completion Date :
Dec 31, 2022
Anticipated Study Completion Date :
Dec 31, 2022

Arms and Interventions

Arm Intervention/Treatment
Active Comparator: Self-Guided Forest Bathing

Forest Bathing intervention without a guide and basic navigational instructions, explanation of forest bathing, and time to return.

Behavioral: Self-Guided Forest Bathing
Participants will participate in two, 60-90 minute self-guided forest bathing sessions over the course of a year in one of four Vancouver, B.C. park trails and be given prompts to consciously use their five senses in the forest.

Experimental: Guided Forest Bathing

Forest Bathing intervention led by a certified Forest Therapy guide.

Behavioral: Guided Forest Bathing
Participants will participate in two, 60-90 minute guided forest bathing sessions over the course of a year in one of four Vancouver, B.C. park trails. They will be invited by a certified forest therapy guide to consciously use their five senses in the forest.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

  1. Abbreviated Profile of Mood States (POMS) - Change [Pre-test and Post-test Forest Bathing Sessions (90-minute interval)]

    Abbreviated Profile of Mood States (POMS) are routinely used by forest bathing researchers because psychologists regard it as rendering an accurate measure of mood states. The goal is to determine if spending time in a forest environment affects a psychological response. Abbreviated POMS contains 40 questions. Each answer is scored on a Likert Scale with values of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Lower total scores indicated low mood problems, and conversely, a higher score may indicate a high mood problem. POMS will determine a baseline level of specific moods for a participant at the onset of the research trial and at the beginning and end of each forest bathing session.

  2. Cardiovascular reactivity - Heart Rate - Change [Pre-test and Post-test Forest Bathing Sessions (90-minute interval)]

    Cardiovascular reactivity will be measured by participants taking heart rate before and after each forest bathing session.. Three measurements will be taken at 30-second intervals. The mean of the final two measurements taken for each interval will be used for statistical analysis.

  3. Cardiovascular reactivity - Heart Rate Variability - Change [Pre-test and Post-test Forest Bathing Sessions (90-minute interval)]

    Cardiovascular reactivity will be measured by participants taking heart rate variability before and after each forest bathing session.. Three measurements will be taken at 30-second intervals. The mean of the final two measurements taken for each interval will be used for statistical analysis.

  4. Cardiovascular reactivity - Blood Pressure (Diastolic) - Change [Pre-test and Post-test Forest Bathing Sessions (90-minute interval)]

    Cardiovascular reactivity will be measured by participants taking diastolic blood pressure before and after each forest bathing session.. Three measurements will be taken at 30-second intervals. The mean of the final two measurements taken for each interval will be used for statistical analysis.

  5. Cardiovascular reactivity - Blood Pressure (Systolic) - Change [Pre-test and Post-test Forest Bathing Sessions (90-minute interval)]

    Cardiovascular reactivity will be measured by participants taking systolic blood pressure before and after each forest bathing session. Three measurements will be taken at 30-second intervals. The mean of the final two measurements taken for each interval will be used for statistical analysis.

Secondary Outcome Measures

  1. Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) - Change [Pre-test and Post-test Forest Bathing Sessions (90-minute interval)]

    Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) is a scale designed to measure an individual's affective, experiential connection to nature. It was created based on the argument that for people to participate in environmental issues they need to feel part of the natural world. Another argument is that aspects of our urban or modern lifestyle relate to our nature connectedness and overall life satisfaction. The scale contains 13 items. It is a simple scale question with some reverse coded items Participants responded on a 5-point scale, where 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree. CNS will determine a baseline level of nature relatedness and subjective well-being at the onset of the research trial and at the beginning and end of each forest bathing session.

  2. Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) - Change [Up to one week before the first forest bathing session and one week after the fourth forest bathing session (7-month interval).]

    The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a short 5-item instrument designed to measure global cognitive judgments of satisfaction with one's life.

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:
19 Years and Older
Sexes Eligible for Study:
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Yes
Inclusion Criteria:
  • Adults (19+) that are residents of Vancouver, B.C.

  • Spend time on a trail in a Vancouver park for at least 60 minutes per month

  • Willing to refrain from tobacco products, alcohol, caffeine, marijuana, and psilocybin for at least two hours prior to arriving at the study site and during the forest bathing sessions

Exclusion Criteria:
  • Must be able to move along a barrier-free trail independently

  • Non-residents (e.g. tourists)

  • Children (under 19 years of age)

  • Participants with pets

Contacts and Locations

Locations

Site City State Country Postal Code
1 Malcolm Knapp Research Forest Maple Ridge B.C. Canada
2 Jericho Beach Park Vancouver B.C. Canada
3 Pacific Spirit Regional Park Vancouver B.C. Canada
4 Stanley Park Vancouver B.C. Canada

Sponsors and Collaborators

  • University of British Columbia

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: John L. Innes, PhD, University of British Columbia

Study Documents (Full-Text)

None provided.

More Information

Additional Information:

Publications

None provided.
Responsible Party:
John Innes, Professor, University of British Columbia
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT05502588
Other Study ID Numbers:
  • H22-00216
First Posted:
Aug 16, 2022
Last Update Posted:
Aug 16, 2022
Last Verified:
Aug 1, 2022
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
No
Plan to Share IPD:
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product:
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product:
No
Keywords provided by John Innes, Professor, University of British Columbia
Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Study Results

No Results Posted as of Aug 16, 2022