Mental HealthNCT06633367
Nature IDEAS Study: An RCT to Increase Time Spent in Nature Among University Students
A study testing Increasing time in nature in people with Mental Health, run by Michigan State University at 9 sites in United States.
Trial summary
This project will first examine nature opportunities, belonging and benefits with a multi-state nature-based intervention with a focus on students of color. In light of the syndemic, 'nature deficit disorder' and poor mental health, the investigators anticipate several far-reaching impacts that will (a) test a… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 24 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Mental Health
- What is being tested?
- Increasing time in nature
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 1,545 participants
- Where
- 9 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 9 Sep 2024to 1 Mar 2025
- 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 18 to 24 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Undergraduate student
- 18-24 years of age
- Lives within 30 miles of university campus
Who cannot join
- Not an undergraduate student
- Under 18 or over 24 years of age
- Lives > 30 miles from the university campus
Trial locations and contacts
9 sites in 1 country.
9 sites in 1 country
United States9 sites
University of New Mexico
Albequerque, New Mexico, 87131
Morgan State University
Baltimore, Maryland, 21251
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia, 22902
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina, 29631
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, Ohio, 44115
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland, 20742
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan, 48824
North Carolina A&T University
Greensboro, North Carolina, 27411
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Salisbury, Maryland, 21804
About this study
Official title: Nature Dose Equity for Students
This project will first examine nature opportunities, belonging and benefits with a multi-state nature-based intervention with a focus on students of color. In light of the syndemic, 'nature deficit disorder' and poor mental health, the investigators anticipate several far-reaching impacts that will (a) test a nationally useful standardized way to quantify exposure; (b) invest in nature resources and accessibility on campuses; and (c) promote the mental health and therapeutic benefits of nature among young adults. These will lead to understanding the nature exposure and mental health interplay and techniques for quantifying and encouraging nature exposure to treat the on-going youth mental health crisis. Including HBCUs and an hispanic-serving institution is expected to result in heightened visibility of underlying disparities, including structural racism and land-based violence and discrimination, that have contributed to current-day nature gaps and dismantled nature relationships for students of color.
Read the detailed description
America faces a syndemic of youth 'nature deficit disorder' and poor mental health. These conditions can be improved by nature contact, but the outdoors is not equally accessible, particularly for students of color. This study leverages the NatureDose™ app to identify racial/ethnic inequities in nature opportunities, belonging, and benefits and conduct an RCT to improve mental health and address disparities by getting university students outdoors into nature. The investigators will test 3 over-arching questions:
- Are there differences in nature opportunities and/or belongingness for White versus students of color?
- Does more time in nature correlate with greater feelings of nature connectedness, belongingness, and better mental health?
- Is a nature-based intervention that leverages NatureDoseTM a cost-effective way to improve mental health, particularly for students of color?
This project has two stages. 1) We will determine nature opportunities at each institution using park and sports field mapping, remote sensing, and tree canopy assessment within 30 miles of campuses to identify disparities. 2) As Fall semester starts, we will recruit 160 students/site for a randomized controlled trial (N=1,440 total, giving 80% power to detect effects down to Cohen's d=0.2 even with attrition). Students will complete baseline surveys on nature connectedness (NR-6), nature belongingness (validated scale for university students), mental health (distress, worry, positive/negative affect), and demographics. Next, students will download the NatureDose™ app, which uses 30+ datasets and machine learning models to quantify nature. The app calculates how much nature is near users whenever they are outdoors, and weekly minutes in nature. App data will be collected over a 2-week baseline period, after which students will be randomized to receive 1) standard information about the health benefits of nature (50%) (Active Control) or 2) standard health information, a request to increase weekly minutes in nature, eligibility for a prize, and peer performance comparison. After 2 weeks, students will repeat baseline surveys.
- Conditions
- Mental Health
- Being tested
- Increasing time in nature
- Keywords
- Mental Health, Nature, Young Adults
- Medical subject headings
- Psychological Well-Being
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Increasing time in natureOther
This intervention includes requesting an increase in time spent outdoors, eligibility to receive a prize, and information on peer performance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control group receiving standard health information | No intervention | This group will receive information about health benefits in nature. |
| Intervention Group receiving standard health information + incentives to increase time outdoors | Active comparator | This group will receive information on the health benefits of time outdoors, a request to increase their time outdoors, eligibility to receive a prize, and information on peer performance. Receives: Other: Increasing time in nature |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Kessler-6
Kessler-6 changed to be a two week recall period. Range: 0-24. Higher scores indicate higher distress.
Measured: From enrollment to end of participation phase, 4 weeks.
Worry
Single question "I worry all the time" on a likert-type scale. Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29214862/. Values range from 1-5, whereby a higher score indicates more frequent worry.
Measured: from enrollment to the final survey (4 week period)
Positive and Negative Affect Scale
This scale is comprised of 20 items, with 10 items measuring positive affect (e.g., excited, inspired) and 10 items measuring negative affect (e.g., upset, afraid). Each item is rated on a five-point Likert Scale, ranging from 1 = Very Slightly or Not at all to 5 = Extremely, to measure the extent to which the affect has been experienced, over a two-week period. Positive affect range: 10-50, whereby higher values indicate higher positive affect. Negative affect range: 10-50, whereby higher values indicate higher negative affect.
Measured: from emrollment to the final survey (4 week period)
Secondary outcomes (2)
NR-6
Nature relatedness scale, developed by Nisbet and Zelenski. Each question asked on a likert-type scale from 1 to 5. Then these values are averaged (after considering reverse scored items) to create a score (final score range 1-5), whereby higher values indicate higher nature relatedness.
Measured: From enrollment to the final survey (4 week period)
Access to Nature scale
Access to nature scale, developed by Anders et al. Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494422001943#appsec1. There twelve questions employ a Likert-type scale where 1 reflected little-to-no barrier and 5 reflected the greatest barrier to access. All items were reverse scored for a total sum that reflected participants' overall access to nature, whereby higher scores indicate fewer barriers to access (range 12-60).
Measured: from enrollment to the final survey (4 week period)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Oct 2024
- Study start9 Sep 2024
- Primary completion1 Mar 2025
- Study completion1 Mar 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Mental HealthStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- The investigators will determine nature opportunities at each school using park and sports field mapping, remote sensing, and tree canopy assessment within 30 miles of campuses to identify disparities. As Fall semester starts, the investigators will recruit 160 students/school for an RCT. Students will complete baseline surveys on nature connectedness, nature belongingness, mental health, and demographics. Students will download the NatureDose™ app, which uses 30+ datasets and machine learning models to quantify nature. The app calculates how much nature is near users whenever they are outdoors, and weekly minutes in nature. App data will be collected over a 2-week baseline period, after which students will be randomized to receive 1) standard information about the health benefits of nature or 2) standard health information, a request to increase time in nature, eligibility to receive a prize, and information on peer performance. After 2 weeks, students will repeat baseline surveys.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 1,545 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Michigan State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Cleveland State University, Clemson University, University of Virginia, University of Maryland, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, University of New Mexico, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, REI Cooperative Action Fund, Medical College of Wisconsin
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Amber Pearson, Michigan State University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06633367
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY00010829
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 7 Oct 2024
- Last updated
- 12 Sep 2025
- 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 12 Sep 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Nature Dose Equity for Students
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06633367
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- STUDY00010829
- Conditions
- Mental Health
- Keywords
- Mental Health, Nature, Young Adults
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 1,545 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Michigan State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Cleveland State University, Clemson University, University of Virginia, University of Maryland, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, University of New Mexico, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, REI Cooperative Action Fund, Medical College of Wisconsin
- Study start
- 9 Sep 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Mar 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Oct 2024 (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 project will first examine nature opportunities, belonging and benefits with a multi-state nature-based intervention with a focus on students of color. In light of the syndemic, 'nature deficit disorder' and poor mental health, the investigators anticipate several far-reaching impacts that will (a) test a nationally useful standardized way to quantify exposure; (b) invest in nature resources and accessibility on campuses; and (c) promote the mental health and therapeutic benefits of nature among young adults. These will lead to understanding the nature exposure and mental health interplay and techniques for quantifying and encouraging nature exposure to treat the on-going youth mental health crisis. Including HBCUs and an hispanic-serving institution is expected to result in heightened visibility of underlying disparities, including structural racism and land-based violence and discrimination, that have contributed to current-day nature gaps and dismantled nature relationships for students of color.
Detailed description
America faces a syndemic of youth 'nature deficit disorder' and poor mental health. These conditions can be improved by nature contact, but the outdoors is not equally accessible, particularly for students of color. This study leverages the NatureDose™ app to identify racial/ethnic inequities in nature opportunities, belonging, and benefits and conduct an RCT to improve mental health and address disparities by getting university students outdoors into nature. The investigators will test 3 over-arching questions:
- Are there differences in nature opportunities and/or belongingness for White versus students of color?
- Does more time in nature correlate with greater feelings of nature connectedness, belongingness, and better mental health?
- Is a nature-based intervention that leverages NatureDoseTM a cost-effective way to improve mental health, particularly for students of color?
This project has two stages. 1) We will determine nature opportunities at each institution using park and sports field mapping, remote sensing, and tree canopy assessment within 30 miles of campuses to identify disparities. 2) As Fall semester starts, we will recruit 160 students/site for a randomized controlled trial (N=1,440 total, giving 80% power to detect effects down to Cohen's d=0.2 even with attrition). Students will complete baseline surveys on nature connectedness (NR-6), nature belongingness (validated scale for university students), mental health (distress, worry, positive/negative affect), and demographics. Next, students will download the NatureDose™ app, which uses 30+ datasets and machine learning models to quantify nature. The app calculates how much nature is near users whenever they are outdoors, and weekly minutes in nature. App data will be collected over a 2-week baseline period, after which students will be randomized to receive 1) standard information about the health benefits of nature (50%) (Active Control) or 2) standard health information, a request to increase weekly minutes in nature, eligibility for a prize, and peer performance comparison. After 2 weeks, students will repeat baseline surveys.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- The investigators will determine nature opportunities at each school using park and sports field mapping, remote sensing, and tree canopy assessment within 30 miles of campuses to identify disparities. As Fall semester starts, the investigators will recruit 160 students/school for an RCT. Students will complete baseline surveys on nature connectedness, nature belongingness, mental health, and demographics. Students will download the NatureDose™ app, which uses 30+ datasets and machine learning models to quantify nature. The app calculates how much nature is near users whenever they are outdoors, and weekly minutes in nature. App data will be collected over a 2-week baseline period, after which students will be randomized to receive 1) standard information about the health benefits of nature or 2) standard health information, a request to increase time in nature, eligibility to receive a prize, and information on peer performance. After 2 weeks, students will repeat baseline surveys.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control group receiving standard health information | No intervention | –This group will receive information about health benefits in nature. |
| Intervention Group receiving standard health information + incentives to increase time outdoors | Active comparator | Other: Increasing time in natureThis group will receive information on the health benefits of time outdoors, a request to increase their time outdoors, eligibility to receive a prize, and information on peer performance. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 24 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Undergraduate student
- 18-24 years of age
- Lives within 30 miles of university campus
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Not an undergraduate student
- Under 18 or over 24 years of age
- Lives > 30 miles from the university campus
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Increasing time in natureThis intervention includes requesting an increase in time spent outdoors, eligibility to receive a prize, and information on peer performance. | Other | Intervention Group receiving standard health information + incentives to increase time outdoors |
Primary outcome
Kessler-6
Time frame: From enrollment to end of participation phase, 4 weeks.
Kessler-6 changed to be a two week recall period. Range: 0-24. Higher scores indicate higher distress.
Worry
Time frame: from enrollment to the final survey (4 week period)
Single question "I worry all the time" on a likert-type scale. Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29214862/. Values range from 1-5, whereby a higher score indicates more frequent worry.
Positive and Negative Affect Scale
Time frame: from emrollment to the final survey (4 week period)
This scale is comprised of 20 items, with 10 items measuring positive affect (e.g., excited, inspired) and 10 items measuring negative affect (e.g., upset, afraid). Each item is rated on a five-point Likert Scale, ranging from 1 = Very Slightly or Not at all to 5 = Extremely, to measure the extent to which the affect has been experienced, over a two-week period. Positive affect range: 10-50, whereby higher values indicate higher positive affect. Negative affect range: 10-50, whereby higher values indicate higher negative affect.
2 secondary outcomes
NR-6
Time frame: From enrollment to the final survey (4 week period)
Access to Nature scale
Time frame: from enrollment to the final survey (4 week period)
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 12 Sep 2025.
- 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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
9 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Increasing time in nature in people with Mental Health, run by Michigan State University at 9 sites in United States.
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 3 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 12 Sep 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 9 sites in United States. 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?
Kessler-6 (time frame: From enrollment to end of participation phase, 4 weeks.). The study lists 3 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 12 Sep 2025.