NCT04146025

Nurtured in Nature

Leveraging Urban Nature, Behavioral Economics, and Mobile Platforms to Prevent Postpartum Depression

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 36 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The investigators pilot test a Nature Coach Intervention in a population of postpartum women, to increase the amount of time people spend outside in local nature, with the goal of preventing postpartum depression.

Detailed description

Postpartum depression (PPD), characterized by feelings of sadness, irritability, and fatigue following the birth of a child, occurs in 10-15% of women. PPD peaks within the first 2-3 months following delivery, but can occur anytime in the first year, representing one of the most common complications of childbearing. The consequences go beyond impaired functioning for the woman, and include harmful effects on the cognitive and emotional development of the woman's infant. Despite this, many women are undiagnosed and do not get adequate treatment. Living near and spending time in green space is associated with a host of mental health benefits, including reduced depression and improved well-being. Research has shown that women who live near more green space have improved birth outcomes such as higher birthweight infants. Despite the growing body of evidence linking nature with improved mental health, spending time in green space is not a standard health promoting tool to address mental illness. Behavioral economics concepts have been used successfully in promoting other preventative health behaviors such as physical activity and healthy eating.

Conditions

• Postpartum Depression
• Pregnancy Related
• Environmental Exposure

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Nature Coach Intervention	1. Home visit. During the 1-hour home visit, the coach will (a) provide education about the health benefits of nature, (b) identify nearby nature targets for the participant to visit, (c) complete a pre-commitment contract based on individualized weekly nature goals, and (d) brainstorm barriers and solutions to reaching the goals. 2. Personalized weekly text messages. Texts will serve as reminders of goals set with the Nature Coach, as well as encouragement to meet the goals. The context of text messages with change slightly based on individual participants, the goals they set, and the barriers they identify. 3. Goal feedback- At the end of each week, participants will receive a progression badge via text message that shows the amount of days and time they spent in nature, and how this matched up to the goal set with the Nature Coach.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-09-12
• Primary completion: 2020-02-24
• Completion: 2020-03-27
• First posted: 2019-10-31
• Last updated: 2020-11-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States