NCT06390683

Biodiversity Interventions for Assisted Living Centers

Biodiversity Interventions for Well-Being - Research in Assisted Living Centers

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 36 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Natural Resources Institute Finland · Other Government
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 82 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

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 assisted living centers (BIWE 2), microbial biodiversity interventions are performed to increase biodiversity in urban housing units for people with autism spectrum disorder, disabled people and elderly. 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 yards of the housing units 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.

Detailed description

Our specific aims are: To assess if rewilding diversifies health-associated skin microbiota and is associated with salivary cytokine levels, gene pathways, cortisol levels and commensal microbiota. Assess whether there are patterns in the microbiome associated with the salivary cytokine levels and hair cortisol levels. Assess whether rewilding affects health and psychological measures. The investigators will recruit approximately 36 study subjects living in assisted housing units in urban areas and aged between 18-82.

Conditions

• Nature, Human
• Microbial Colonization
• Well-Being, Psychological
• Immune System and Related Disorders
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Visual Impairment

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Rewilding	Yards of the assisted living centers 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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-02-01
• Primary completion: 2027-09-30
• Completion: 2027-09-30
• First posted: 2024-04-30
• Last updated: 2024-04-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Finland