NCT05893212

Nature Walks or Exercise as a Group Activity, the Effect Well-being, Sleep and Activity.

Targeted Health Promotion With Guided Nature Walks or Group Exercise: a Controlled Trial in Primary Care

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 79 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Helsinki · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Contact with nature promotes human wellbeing through diverse pathways, providing a potential way to support health especially in primary care, where patients commonly suffer from multimorbidity and poor general health. Social prescribing as a non-pharmaceutical treatment is a promising method to improve health as well as inclusion. This study explores and compares the effects of a nature based and an exercise based social prescribing scheme on mental wellbeing, physical activity and sleep, in a primary care population.

Detailed description

In this non-randomized, intention-to-treat, pilot study we recruited clients at the health and social service centre in Sipoo, Finland. Participants (n=79) chose between two social prescribing programs, either taking part of guided walks in nature, including immersion in a forest with high biodiversity, or taking part in a sports group with a versatile program. Inclusion was not based on diagnosis, but an identified need of improving health. Mental wellbeing was assessed using the 14-item Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), additional questions evaluated perceived health and sleep. Amount and quality of sleep and physical activity were measured using wrist-worn accelerometers. Assessments took place before and after the 8-week intervention, as we were interested in the effect on everyday life. Even though participants lived in an area with abundant green space, taking part in the prescribed nature program improved mental wellbeing. Those who initially rated their health and mental health as good did achieve benefit from both programs, while those in poor health received better aid from the nature group. Initial study plan aimed for 160 participants, with an equal distribution between the groups. The programs were completed in 2018-2019 (spring + autumn) The COVID-19 outbreak hindered group activities 2020, a nature-group was organized in autumn 2020.

Conditions

• Health Promotion
• Multimorbidity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Nature based facilitated group intervention	The Nature-group programme included learning more about local outdoor areas and nature itself, the biotopes visited were chosen to provide a various nature experience, including forests, farmland, lakes, and seashore. Accompanied by nature guides the group practiced simple sensorial exercises that enhance the contact with nature and its microbiome.
BEHAVIORAL	Exercise in group	The Sports-group participated in an exercise programme and met weekly in community sports facilities. Exercise we define as a planned, structured, repetitive, and purposeful form of physical activity that aims for improvement or maintenance of one or more components of physical fitness. The sports programme was planned and executed by professional sports leaders in cooperation with health professionals and included both aerobic and anaerobic exercise as well as team sports, content was planned according to current best practice and considered the participants physical ability.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-03-01
• Primary completion: 2020-12-31
• Completion: 2020-12-31
• First posted: 2023-06-07
• Last updated: 2023-06-07

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Finland