Biodiversity Interventions for Well-Being

NCT06353035 | Active Not Recruiting

• 3 other identifiers: NaturalResourcesIFinland346136346138
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Biodiversity is essential for nature and human well-being. Land use has reduced biodiversity in cities, which weakens the functionality of the urban ecosystems and the well-being of citizens. This may also increase the risk of immune-mediated disorders among urban dwellers. In Biodiversity interventions for well-being (BIWE), microbial biodiversity interventions are performed to increase biodiversity in urban built areas. Results from the intervention trials are combined with publicly available land cover and ecological data. These are analyzed from the viewpoint of shifts in ecosystems and human well-being and immune regulation, ecological quality, and urban planning. The investigators set up an intervention study in which urban private yards are rewilded with diverse vegetation and decaying deadwood and plant residuals. The investigators aim to evaluate the effect of rewilding, and yard management practices on commensal microbiome, cortisol levels and well-being and salivary cytokine levels, and gene pathways.

Conditions

Microbial Colonization; Immune System Diseases; Well-Being, Psychological; Nature, Human

Keywords

Commensal microbiome; Salivary cytokines; Planetary health; Well-being

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Skin Gammaproteobacteria

  Difference on skin gammaproteobacterial diversity between rewilding and control group

  Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year

Secondary Outcomes (11)

• Salivary cytokines

  Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year

• Difference in diversity (Alpha and beta diversity) of skin, saliva and stool microbiota

  Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year

• Difference in observed species richness of skin, saliva and stool microbiota

  Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year

• Difference in taxonomies of skin, saliva and stool microbiota

  Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year

• Difference in microbial gene pathways of saliva and stool microbiota

  Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year

Other Outcomes (1)

• Associations between environmental factors and microbial measurements, salivary cytokine levels, hair cortisol levels, perceived well-being

  Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year

Study Arms (2)

Rewilding

EXPERIMENTAL

Private yards of the intervention study subjects will be modified with berry bushes, fruit trees, perennial yard plants, meadow flowers, cultivation boxes, organic mulch materials, decaying deadwood, leaf compost and organic plant growing media with high microbial diversity.

Other: Rewilding

Control

NO INTERVENTION

The control group's yards will not be modified. Control group receives inorganic fertilizers, moss remover and ant control insecticide (Myrr®; active ingredient imidacloprid 0.03 % w/w).

Interventions

Rewilding OTHER

Private yards of the intervention study subjects will be modified with vegetation and deadwood.

Rewilding

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 72 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Living in a detached or terraced house in urban area

You may not qualify if:

• Immunosuppressive medications
• Immune deficiencies
• a disease affecting immune response (e.g., colitis ulcerosa, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, diabetes)
• cancer diagnosis within the last year or on-going cancer treatment
• Incompetency
• Living outside city area.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Natural Resources Institute Finland: lead
• Tampere University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Natural Resources Institute Finland

Helsinki, Uusimaa, 00970, Finland

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Communicable Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Infections; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Study Officials

• Aki Sinkkonen

  Natural Resources Institute Finland

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: The research subjects were not randomized or masked to the intervention and control group, because the control group needs volunteers who have no intention of following the yard management instructions advised to the intervention group.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER GOV
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Intervention-control study in which intervention study subjects private yards are rewilded and control receives no treatment.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 27, 2024
• First Posted: April 8, 2024
• Study Start: March 30, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2027
• Last Updated: April 8, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-03

Locations

FI (1)