Pilot Evaluation of Technology-enhanced Horticultural Activities Among the People With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers

NCT05577975 | Unknown DMC

• 1 other identifier: HSEARS20220801002
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Horticultural therapy is one of the effective interventions for the person with dementia(PWD) which could increase their time engaging in leisure activities and decrease their time doing nothing. However, there are some limitations and constraints for PWD to participate in the horticultural therapy especially in the high-density cities (e.g. Hong Kong). This study aims to investigate the feasibility and preliminary effects of adopting home-based technology-enhanced horticultural activities. The program will consist of three face-to-face (F-T-F) horticultural activity training session for a group of 6-8 participants and then biweekly telephone follow-up for 8-week home-based horticultural intervention. Program evaluation will be conducted through focus groups with 15 participants with different levels of stress reduction after the intervention. It is hypothesized that the PWD and their caregiver will have a significant improvement in the cognitive function and behavioral symptoms of the PWD, an increase in the positive caregiving experience in the family caregivers, a reduction of the caregivers' level of stress and depressive symptoms, and enhancement of the quality of life of the family caregivers after the intervention.

Conditions

Dementia

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• The Chinese version of Positive Aspect of Caregiving scale (PAC)

  The PAC scale demonstrates the acceptable levels of internal consistency Cronbach's alpha 0.85 among the family caregivers of PWD in Hong Kong. Higher scores indicating more positive self-perceptions of caregiving. Comparisons of changes of Positive Aspect of Caregiving scale (PAC)will be considered as follows: T0 - T1

  At baseline (T0) and 11th week (immediately post- intervention; T1

• The Chinese version of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)

  Perceived Stress Scale contains 10 items with 5-point Likert-type scale rating from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). The total score can range from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress. Comparisons of changes of Perceived Stress Scale will be considered as follows: T0 - T1

  At baseline (T0) and 11th week (immediately post- intervention; T1

• The WHOQOL-OLD BREF (HK)

  The WHOQOL-OLD BREF (HK) comprised 28 items and each item is rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale that ranged from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied), with a higher score indicating a better QoL. Comparisons of changes of The WHOQOL-OLD BREF (HK) will be considered as follows: T0 - T1

  At baseline (T0) and 11th week (immediately post- intervention; T1

• The Chinese version of Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale(CESDS)

  The Chinese version of Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale is a self-reported measure of depression containing 20 items. Comparisons of changes of Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale will be considered as follows: T0 - T1

  At baseline (T0) and 11th week (immediately post- intervention; T1

• MoCA-5-min

  MoCA-5-min assess participants' cognitive function over the telephone. MoCA-5-min comprises four domains: attention, executive function/language, orientation, and memory.Comparisons of changes of MoCA-5-min will be considered as follows: T0 - T1

  At baseline (T0) and 11th week (immediately post- intervention; T1

• The Chinese version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q)

  The Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire evaluates the frequency, severity, and caregiver distress of 12 neuropsychiatric symptoms by using a 5-point rating scale..Comparisons of changes of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire will be considered as follows: T0 - T1

  At baseline (T0) and 11th week (immediately post- intervention; T1

Study Arms (1)

Intervention Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

The program will consist of three face-to-face (F-T-F) horticultural activity training session for a group of 6-8 participants and then biweekly telephone follow-up for 8-week home-based horticultural intervention.

Device: The Aspara @ smart grower

Interventions

The Aspara @ smart grower DEVICE

The program will consist of three face-to-face (F-T-F) horticultural activity training session for a group of 6-8 participants and then biweekly telephone follow-up for 8-week home-based horticultural intervention. The home-based program contains different horticultural, cognitive and multisensory stimulation activities such asking the PWD and the family caregiver to record the sense of touch and odor when taking care of the plant and the various changes of the plants by using the smart grower. Program evaluation will be conducted through focus groups with 15 participants with different levels of stress reduction after the intervention.

Intervention Arm

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• The PWD
• Aged 65 or above who had been diagnosed with any type of dementia at the early to moderate stage
• Are Community-dwelling (i.e., non-institutionalized),
• Are Able to understand Cantonese and follow simple instruction
• The family caregivers
• Aged 18 years or above;
• the blood or by-marriage relatives (e.g. spouses, siblings, children, and grandchildren) of a person who has been clinically diagnosed with dementia, regardless of its types and these relatives are taking up the caring responsibilities ranging from physical aids to emotional supports, in the form of transportation, financial assistance, personal hygiene, and decision-making.;
• Providing most of the daily care and support for PWD (daily contact for at least four hours); and
• Able to speak Cantonese

You may not qualify if:

• The PWD and the family caregivers
• Are diagnosed with a mental disorder such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, or depression; and/or,
• Are taking anticonvulsants, or any kind of psychotropic drugs, and/or identified with a self-reported suicidal thought or drug abuse in the past 6 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: lead

Study Sites (1)

The Hong Kong Polytechnic Univeristy

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

RECRUITING

Related Publications (19)

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  BACKGROUND

• Chin WY, Choi EP, Chan KT, Wong CK. The Psychometric Properties of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in Chinese Primary Care Patients: Factor Structure, Construct Validity, Reliability, Sensitivity and Responsiveness. PLoS One. 2015 Aug 7;10(8):e0135131. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135131. eCollection 2015.

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  PMID: 27458254 BACKGROUND

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• Prince M, Bryce R, Albanese E, Wimo A, Ribeiro W, Ferri CP. The global prevalence of dementia: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Alzheimers Dement. 2013 Jan;9(1):63-75.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2012.11.007.

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• Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied psychological measurement, 1(3), 385-401.

  BACKGROUND

• Van't Leven N, Prick AE, Groenewoud JG, Roelofs PD, de Lange J, Pot AM. Dyadic interventions for community-dwelling people with dementia and their family caregivers: a systematic review. Int Psychogeriatr. 2013 Oct;25(10):1581-603. doi: 10.1017/S1041610213000860. Epub 2013 Jul 24.

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• Wong A, Cheng ST, Lo ES, Kwan PW, Law LS, Chan AY, Wong LK, Mok V. Validity and reliability of the neuropsychiatric inventory questionnaire version in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack having cognitive impairment. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2014 Dec;27(4):247-52. doi: 10.1177/0891988714532017. Epub 2014 Apr 24.

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• Wong A, Nyenhuis D, Black SE, Law LS, Lo ES, Kwan PW, Au L, Chan AY, Wong LK, Nasreddine Z, Mok V. Montreal Cognitive Assessment 5-minute protocol is a brief, valid, reliable, and feasible cognitive screen for telephone administration. Stroke. 2015 Apr;46(4):1059-64. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.114.007253. Epub 2015 Feb 19.

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• Wong A, Xiong YY, Kwan PW, Chan AY, Lam WW, Wang K, Chu WC, Nyenhuis DL, Nasreddine Z, Wong LK, Mok VC. The validity, reliability and clinical utility of the Hong Kong Montreal Cognitive Assessment (HK-MoCA) in patients with cerebral small vessel disease. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2009;28(1):81-7. doi: 10.1159/000232589. Epub 2009 Aug 11.

  PMID: 19672065 BACKGROUND

• Yu R, Chau PH, McGhee SM, Cheung WL, Chan KC, Cheung SH, Woo J. Trends in prevalence and mortality of dementia in elderly Hong Kong population: projections, disease burden, and implications for long-term care. Int J Alzheimers Dis. 2012;2012:406852. doi: 10.1155/2012/406852. Epub 2012 Oct 14.

  PMID: 23097740 BACKGROUND

• Zhao Y, Liu Y, Wang Z. Effectiveness of horticultural therapy in people with dementia: A quantitative systematic review. J Clin Nurs. 2022 Jul;31(13-14):1983-1997. doi: 10.1111/jocn.15204. Epub 2020 Feb 20.

  PMID: 32017241 BACKGROUND

• Kor PPK, Liu JYW, Wong AKC, Tsang APL, Tan HZ, Cheung DSK, Leung HKW, Wong FKY. Effectiveness of a Dyadic Technology-Enhanced Home-Based Horticultural Therapy on Psychosocial Well-Being Among People With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers: Multimethods Pilot Study. JMIR Aging. 2025 Feb 5;8:e66017. doi: 10.2196/66017.

  PMID: 39908077 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Dementia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Patrick Kor, PhD

  The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Patrick Kor, PhD

CONTACT

27665622; patrick.kor@polyu.edu.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor, School of Nursing

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 10, 2022
• First Posted: October 13, 2022
• Study Start: September 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2023
• Study Completion: August 30, 2024
• Last Updated: October 13, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-10

Locations

HK (1)