Immune Response and Affective States of Elderly and 50+ Individuals After Intentional and Indirect Contact With Nature

NCT05492006 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: e-Nature NK
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 54
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Randomized clinical trial on the influence of intentional and indirect contact with nature on the immune response and affective states in people aged 50 years or older.

Conditions

Elderly

Keywords

health promotion; healthy aging; nature; immunological; older

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change from Baseline Concentration of Cytokines in Soluble Immune Profile at 30 minutes post intervention, within 48-72 hours post intervention and within 25-35 days post intervention.

  Quantify the change from baseline pre intervention in concentration of cytokines in plasma ng/ml (IFN-γ, IL-10, Granzyme A, IL-13, Granzyme B, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, TNF-α e perforina) in comparison the concentrations between the periods of 30 minutes post intervention, within 48-72 hours post intervention and within 25-35 days post intervention

  immediately pre intervention, 30 minutes post intervention, within 48-72 hours post intervention and within 25-35 days post intervention

• Change from baseline of Cellular Immune Profile at 30 minutes post intervention, within 48-72 hours post intervention and within 25-25 days post intervention

  Quantify the changes from baseline pre intervention of frequency of cellular immune populations and their inhibiting, activating, effector and lytic molecules of subpopulation of lymphocytes and NK cells and their memory status in the blood within the period of 30 minutes post intervention, 48-72 hours and 25-35 days post intervention.

  immediately pre intervention, 30 minutes post intervention, within 48-72 hours post intervention and within 25-35 days post intervention.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change from baseline affective states at 30 minutes post intervention, within 48-72 hours post intervention and within 25-35 days post intervention.

  immediately pre intervention, 30 minutes post intervention, within 48-72 hours post intervention and within 25-35 days post intervention.

Study Arms (2)

Group A: intentional contact with nature

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Group A volunteers will take a light walk along the park with green space in a single 1-hour session guided by a Multicomponent Nature-Based Intervention grounded in the "A time with e-Nature" model. This intervention was developed by this same research group and integrates multisensory, aesthetic-emotional, cognitive, and active-engagement dimensions, constituting a structured and replicable protocol.

Behavioral: Intentional contact with nature

Group B: indirect contact with nature

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The members of Group B will watch a video with the images of the e-Nature Positive Emotions Photography Database (e-NatPOEM), a database of nature images validated by this same research group for its capacity to evoke positive emotions in a controlled manner. Participants will watch the material in a controlled environment, lasting approximately 45 minutes.

Behavioral: Indirect contact with nature

Interventions

Indirect contact with nature BEHAVIORAL

The participants will watch a video with validated images of nature from e-Nature Positive Emotions Photography Database (e-NatPOEM). Participants will watch the material in a controlled environment, lasting approximately 45 minutes.

Also known as: e-NatPOEM

Group B: indirect contact with nature

Intentional contact with nature BEHAVIORAL

The participants will take a light walk in a park with green spaces guided by research team in a single 1-hour session, based on the Multicomponent Nature-Based Intervention named A time with e-Nature. This intervention integrates multisensory, aesthetic-emotional, cognitive, and active-engagement dimensions.

Also known as: A time with e-Nature

Group A: intentional contact with nature

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• individuals of both sexes
• capable of physical and mental to carry out the proposed activities
• capable of mental to fill in the questionnaires.

You may not qualify if:

• autoimmune diseases
• chronic or acute inflammatory diseases
• disease that affects the response of the immune system
• neuromuscular problems
• oncological diseases and neoplastic
• individuals being treated with immunosuppressive drugs or that affect the immune system
• individuals who are under the influence of alcohol or other substances that interfere with cognitive ability
• those who have had contact intentional relationship with nature in the 30-day period prior to participating in the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein: lead
• Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico: collaborator
• Paulo de Tarso Ricieri de Lima: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein

São Paulo, São Paulo, 05652000, Brazil

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Dal Fabbro D, Catissi G, Borba G, Lima L, Hingst-Zaher E, Rosa J, Victor E, Bernardes L, Souza T, Leao E. e-Nature Positive Emotions Photography Database (e-NatPOEM): affectively rated nature images promoting positive emotions. Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 3;11(1):11696. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-91013-9.

  PMID: 34083616 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Eliseth R Leão, PhD

  Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 5, 2022
• First Posted: August 8, 2022
• Study Start: June 20, 2023
• Primary Completion: November 30, 2023
• Study Completion: June 30, 2025
• Last Updated: August 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

BR (1)