Nature, HumanNCT05502588
Effects of Forest Bathing in Vancouver, B.C. Parks
A study testing Self-Guided Forest Bathing and Guided Forest Bathing in people with Nature, Human and Mental Health Wellness 1, run by University of British Columbia at 4 sites in Canada.
Trial summary
This study aims to investigate environmental factors that influence people's responses to the Japanese practice of forest bathing in Vancouver, B.C. parks. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 19 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Nature, Human, Mental Health Wellness 1, Stress, Psychological
- What is being tested?
- Self-Guided Forest Bathing and Guided Forest Bathing
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 198 participants
- Where
- 4 sitesCanada
- Study dates
- 22 Apr 2022to 20 Apr 2023
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 19 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults (19+) that are residents of Vancouver, B.C.
- Spend time on a trail in a Vancouver park for at least 60 minutes per month
- Willing to refrain from tobacco products, alcohol, caffeine, marijuana, and psilocybin for at least two hours prior to arriving at the study site and during the forest bathing sessions
Who cannot join
- Must be able to move along a barrier-free trail independently
- Non-residents (e.g. tourists)
- Children (under 19 years of age)
- Participants with pets
Trial locations and contacts
4 sites in 1 country.
Canada4 sites
Malcolm Knapp Research Forest
Maple Ridge, B.C.
Jericho Beach Park
Vancouver, B.C.
Pacific Spirit Regional Park
Vancouver, B.C.
Stanley Park
Vancouver, B.C.
About this study
Official title: Effects of Forest Bathing and Environmental Factors on Individual Health Responses in Vancouver, B.C. Parks
This study aims to investigate environmental factors that influence people's responses to the Japanese practice of forest bathing in Vancouver, B.C. parks.
Read the detailed description
The primary research aim is to investigate the relationship between biotic and abiotic factors in a sample of Vancouver, B.C. forested parks and specific health-related outcomes after forest bathing interventions. Forest bathing programs are a promising therapeutic method for enhancing heart rate and blood pressure functions and an effective psychological relaxation strategy. This study will investigate changes in autonomic nervous system activity and mood states after a 60-90 minute forest bathing program in four Vancouver, B.C. parks. Approximately 100 adult participants will be recruited for the study and participate in four sessions over one year. Physiological responses, pulse rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and psychological indices will be measured before and after each session.
The health effects of forest-based interventions will vary due to environmental factors such as weather, temperature, humidity, light, and participants' psychological and physiological states. We are taking measurements pre- and post-treatment to detect any change in response during each session and seasonally.
Primary endpoint is to determine if the guided walk provides greater enhanced heart rate and blood pressure functions and an effective psychological relaxation strategy over the self-guided walk.
Secondary endpoints: 1) to determine if participants living in neighborhoods with below average street trees receive greater benefits than participants that live in neighborhoods with average or above average street trees, 2) assess changes within the same individuals over time 3) if there are different outcomes seasonally 4) if there are different outcomes between study sites.
- Conditions
- Nature, Human, Mental Health Wellness 1, Stress, Psychological, Blood Pressure, Environmental Exposure, Anxiety
- Being tested
- Self-Guided Forest Bathing, Guided Forest Bathing
- Keywords
- Forest Bathing, Shinrin-yoku, Forest Therapy, Forest-based Intervention, Forest Immersion, Nature Therapy
- Medical subject headings
- Stress, Psychological, Anxiety Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Self-Guided Forest BathingBehavioural
Participants will participate in two, 60-90 minute self-guided forest bathing sessions over the course of a year in one of four Vancouver, B.C. park trails and be given prompts to consciously use their five senses in the forest.
Guided Forest BathingBehavioural
Participants will participate in two, 60-90 minute guided forest bathing sessions over the course of a year in one of four Vancouver, B.C. park trails. They will be invited by a certified forest therapy guide to consciously use their five senses in the forest.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Guided Forest Bathing | Active comparator | Forest Bathing intervention without a guide and basic navigational instructions, explanation of forest bathing, and time to return. Receives: Behavioral: Self-Guided Forest Bathing |
| Guided Forest Bathing | Experimental | Forest Bathing intervention led by a certified Forest Therapy guide. Receives: Behavioral: Guided Forest Bathing |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Abbreviated Profile of Mood States (POMS) - Change
Abbreviated Profile of Mood States (POMS) are routinely used by forest bathing researchers because psychologists regard it as rendering an accurate measure of mood states. The goal is to determine if spending time in a forest environment affects a psychological response. Abbreviated POMS contains 40 questions. Each answer is scored on a Likert Scale with values of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Lower total scores indicated low mood problems, and conversely, a higher score may indicate a high mood problem. POMS will determine a baseline level of specific moods for a participant at the onset of the research trial and at the beginning and end of each forest bathing session.
Measured: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.
Cardiovascular reactivity - Heart Rate - Change
Cardiovascular reactivity will be measured by participants taking heart rate before and after each forest bathing session.. Three measurements will be taken at 30-second intervals. The mean of the final two measurements taken for each interval will be used for statistical analysis.
Measured: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.
Cardiovascular reactivity - Blood Pressure (Diastolic) - Change
Cardiovascular reactivity will be measured by participants taking diastolic blood pressure before and after each forest bathing session.. Three measurements will be taken at 30-second intervals. The mean of the final two measurements taken for each interval will be used for statistical analysis.
Measured: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.
Cardiovascular reactivity - Blood Pressure (Systolic) - Change
Cardiovascular reactivity will be measured by participants taking systolic blood pressure before and after each forest bathing session. Three measurements will be taken at 30-second intervals. The mean of the final two measurements taken for each interval will be used for statistical analysis.
Measured: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.
Secondary outcomes (2)
Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) - Change
Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) is a scale designed to measure an individual's affective, experiential connection to nature. It was created based on the argument that for people to participate in environmental issues they need to feel part of the natural world. Another argument is that aspects of our urban or modern lifestyle relate to our nature connectedness and overall life satisfaction. The scale contains 13 items. It is a simple scale question with some reverse coded items Participants responded on a 5-point scale, where 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree. CNS will determine a baseline level of nature relatedness and subjective well-being at the onset of the research trial and at the beginning and end of each forest bathing session.
Measured: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.
Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) - Change
The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a short 5-item instrument designed to measure global cognitive judgments of satisfaction with one's life.
Measured: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Aug 2022
- Study start22 Apr 2022
- Primary completion20 Apr 2023
- Study completion20 Apr 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Nature, HumanStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of British ColumbiaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- Participants are invited four times over one year to a forest bathing session that takes place on a barrier-free Vancouver, B.C. park trail. Each session is 2-hours including time for pre-test and post-test health measurements. At the study site participants will be randomized in 1:1 ratio to guided forest bathing walk or self-guided forest bathing walk. Subsequent sessions will be counterbalanced.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 198 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of British Columbia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, John Innes, University of British Columbia
- Investigators
- John L. Innes, PhD, Principal investigator, University of British Columbia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05502588
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- H22-00216
- Status last verified
- Apr 2023
- First submitted
- 3 Aug 2022
- Last updated
- 25 Apr 2023
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Apr 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of Forest Bathing and Environmental Factors on Individual Health Responses in Vancouver, B.C. Parks
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05502588
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- H22-00216
- Conditions
- Nature, Human, Mental Health Wellness 1, Stress, Psychological, Blood Pressure, Environmental Exposure, Anxiety
- Keywords
- Forest Bathing, Shinrin-yoku, Forest Therapy, Forest-based Intervention, Forest Immersion, Nature Therapy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 198 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of British ColumbiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 22 Apr 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 Apr 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 20 Apr 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 16 Aug 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to investigate environmental factors that influence people's responses to the Japanese practice of forest bathing in Vancouver, B.C. parks.
Detailed description
The primary research aim is to investigate the relationship between biotic and abiotic factors in a sample of Vancouver, B.C. forested parks and specific health-related outcomes after forest bathing interventions. Forest bathing programs are a promising therapeutic method for enhancing heart rate and blood pressure functions and an effective psychological relaxation strategy. This study will investigate changes in autonomic nervous system activity and mood states after a 60-90 minute forest bathing program in four Vancouver, B.C. parks. Approximately 100 adult participants will be recruited for the study and participate in four sessions over one year. Physiological responses, pulse rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and psychological indices will be measured before and after each session.
The health effects of forest-based interventions will vary due to environmental factors such as weather, temperature, humidity, light, and participants' psychological and physiological states. We are taking measurements pre- and post-treatment to detect any change in response during each session and seasonally.
Primary endpoint is to determine if the guided walk provides greater enhanced heart rate and blood pressure functions and an effective psychological relaxation strategy over the self-guided walk.
Secondary endpoints: 1) to determine if participants living in neighborhoods with below average street trees receive greater benefits than participants that live in neighborhoods with average or above average street trees, 2) assess changes within the same individuals over time 3) if there are different outcomes seasonally 4) if there are different outcomes between study sites.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants are invited four times over one year to a forest bathing session that takes place on a barrier-free Vancouver, B.C. park trail. Each session is 2-hours including time for pre-test and post-test health measurements. At the study site participants will be randomized in 1:1 ratio to guided forest bathing walk or self-guided forest bathing walk. Subsequent sessions will be counterbalanced.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Guided Forest Bathing | Active comparator | Behavioral: Self-Guided Forest BathingForest Bathing intervention without a guide and basic navigational instructions, explanation of forest bathing, and time to return. |
| Guided Forest Bathing | Experimental | Behavioral: Guided Forest BathingForest Bathing intervention led by a certified Forest Therapy guide. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 19 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Adults (19+) that are residents of Vancouver, B.C.
- Spend time on a trail in a Vancouver park for at least 60 minutes per month
- Willing to refrain from tobacco products, alcohol, caffeine, marijuana, and psilocybin for at least two hours prior to arriving at the study site and during the forest bathing sessions
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Must be able to move along a barrier-free trail independently
- Non-residents (e.g. tourists)
- Children (under 19 years of age)
- Participants with pets
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Guided Forest BathingParticipants will participate in two, 60-90 minute self-guided forest bathing sessions over the course of a year in one of four Vancouver, B.C. park trails and be given prompts to consciously use their five senses in the forest. | Behavioural | Self-Guided Forest Bathing |
| Guided Forest BathingParticipants will participate in two, 60-90 minute guided forest bathing sessions over the course of a year in one of four Vancouver, B.C. park trails. They will be invited by a certified forest therapy guide to consciously use their five senses in the forest. | Behavioural | Guided Forest Bathing |
Primary outcome
Abbreviated Profile of Mood States (POMS) - Change
Time frame: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.
Abbreviated Profile of Mood States (POMS) are routinely used by forest bathing researchers because psychologists regard it as rendering an accurate measure of mood states. The goal is to determine if spending time in a forest environment affects a psychological response. Abbreviated POMS contains 40 questions. Each answer is scored on a Likert Scale with values of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Lower total scores indicated low mood problems, and conversely, a higher score may indicate a high mood problem. POMS will determine a baseline level of specific moods for a participant at the onset of the research trial and at the beginning and end of each forest bathing session.
Cardiovascular reactivity - Heart Rate - Change
Time frame: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.
Cardiovascular reactivity will be measured by participants taking heart rate before and after each forest bathing session.. Three measurements will be taken at 30-second intervals. The mean of the final two measurements taken for each interval will be used for statistical analysis.
Cardiovascular reactivity - Blood Pressure (Diastolic) - Change
Time frame: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.
Cardiovascular reactivity will be measured by participants taking diastolic blood pressure before and after each forest bathing session.. Three measurements will be taken at 30-second intervals. The mean of the final two measurements taken for each interval will be used for statistical analysis.
Cardiovascular reactivity - Blood Pressure (Systolic) - Change
Time frame: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.
Cardiovascular reactivity will be measured by participants taking systolic blood pressure before and after each forest bathing session. Three measurements will be taken at 30-second intervals. The mean of the final two measurements taken for each interval will be used for statistical analysis.
2 secondary outcomes
Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) - Change
Time frame: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.
Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) - Change
Time frame: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 Apr 2023.
- UBC Forest Bathing Study Information and Consent FormLink provided by the sponsor.
- John Innes, Professor, Faculty of ForestryLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
John L. Innes, PhD principal investigator
University of British Columbia
4 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Self-Guided Forest Bathing and Guided Forest Bathing in people with Nature, Human and Mental Health Wellness 1, run by University of British Columbia at 4 sites in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Apr 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 4 sites in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Abbreviated Profile of Mood States (POMS) - Change (time frame: Participants are tested before and after each forest bathing session and invited to attend four sessions during the study. Assessments for each session are included until the study ends. Forest bathing sessions will be held in 2022.). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Apr 2023.