Healthy CitizensDPVWNCT07043205
The Psychophysiology of Walking
A study testing Coastal walk and Urban walk in people with Healthy Citizens, run by University Ghent at 1 site in Belgium.
Trial summary
The literature suggests that natural environments, such as those on the Belgian coast, improve several psychological and physiological health parameters. In these environments, recreational activities often involve walking. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 45 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy Citizens
- What is being tested?
- Coastal walk and Urban walk
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 42 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBelgium
- Study dates
- 2 Aug 2023to 11 Oct 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 18 to 45 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- speaking dutch
- 18-45 years old
- being a student or having a paid job
- being able to walk for 1 hour
Who cannot join
- not having a chronic mental or physical condition
- not taking antidepressant drugs
- not being pregnant
- having no uncorrected sensory impairments
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
The literature suggests that natural environments, such as those on the Belgian coast, improve several psychological and physiological health parameters. In these environments, recreational activities often involve walking. However, it is still unknown how the effects of the environment and of walking together influence health. This study investigates the effects of a walk on the Belgian coast versus in the city on various psychological and physiological parameters of mental and physical health, both while walking and at rest after walking. A second set of research questions concerns the determination of the mediating roles of the physical activity performed, the other people in the environment, and environmental factors such as weather and perceived safety. This means that the investigators need to measure how these mediators differ between both environments, and to what extent these mediators have an impact on the subjects. A third set of research questions concerns the moderating roles of the individual characteristics (e.g. age, sex, SES personality, health) on the effects.
100 healthy Belgian adult subjects have to take a walk in both environments according to a within-subject cross-over design, while measurements are taken before, during, and after the walks. Before each walk there is also a walking session on a treadmill for baseline measurements, and rest periods before and during the walk to measure responses after the physical activity with the influence of the environment. The walk on the Belgian coast will take place in Ostend on the dike between the beach and the dunes, and the walk in the city will take place in Ghent center on a similar hard surface.
Read more
A lot of physiological measurements will be done to determine the activity of the nervous systems and the HPA axis. More specifically, the heart rate will be derived from the electrocardiogram (ECG) as a general measure of the activation of the body and the high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) as a measure of the change in the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system. From a blood volume pulse signal (BVP) the mean arterial Pressure (MAP) will be derived as a general measure for the activation of the body and the blood circulation. From a skin conductance signal (EDA) the skin conductance level (SCL) and skin conductance responses (SCR) will be derived as measures of the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. From a respiration signal, respiration rate and depth will be derived as measures of regulation by the respiratory center in the brain. The average tone will be derived from the electromyogram (EMG) as a measure of musculoskeletal activation. These electrophysiological measurements will be made using sensors on the body and MindMedia's medically validated Nexus-10 MKII device. The activity of the HPA axis of stress will be measured by determining the concentration of the cortisol hormone in saliva.
In addition, many questionnaires will be administered that measure the stress level, mood, psychological tension (arousal), worrying and rumination, mindfulness-related and subjective experiences of the participants.
The investigators will closely monitor the mediating role of physical activity using a smartphone that will measure accelerometry, location and walking speed. The mediating roles of the other persons in the environment, the weather, and other environmental factors (e.g. naturalness) will be retrospectively questioned via post-walk questionnaires. It is not unimportant that many characteristics of the test subjects can respond to the effect sizes. That is why the investigators also ask for a lot of data about demographics, socio-economic status, lifestyle, health, personality, and other factors for the experiment.
The hypothesis is that as a result of the physical activity, all physiological parameters of stress will increase, because physical activity affects the same physiological pathways as those of stress. The walk on the coast would increase the psychological and physiological differently than the walk in the urban environment. According to the literature, these effects should be are mediated by physical activity, other people in the vicinity, weather, and other environmental factors (e.g. perceived naturalness).
- Conditions
- Healthy Citizens
- Being tested
- Coastal walk, Urban walk
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Coastal walkBehavioural
A 40-minute walk with psychophysiological monitoring in Ostend (along the beach)
Urban walkBehavioural
40' walk in Ghent (urban)
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| 40' walking | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Coastal walk; Behavioral: Urban walk |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Heart rate in number of beats per minute.
Derived from electrocardiogram
Measured: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
High frequency hart rate variability with unit ms²
Derived from electrocardiogram
Measured: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Mean arterial blood pressure in unit µV
Derived from blood volume pulse
Measured: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Skin conductance level in µV
Derived from skin conductance signal
Measured: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Skin conductance response in muS
Derived from skin conductance signal
Measured: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Respiration rate (breaths/minute)
Derived from respiration signal
Measured: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Respiration depth in µV
Derived from respiration signal
Measured: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Average muscle tone in µV
Derived from Electromyography
Measured: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
salivary cortisol concentration in nmol/l
Derived from saliva
Measured: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Stress level (1 item VAS 1-10, higher values mean more stress)
Assessed via questionnaire
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
Positive mood (10 items, scale 1-5, larger is more positive mood)
Assessed via questionnaire Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS)
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
Negative mood (10 items, scale 1-5, larger is more negative mood)
Assessed via questionnaire Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS)
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
Arousal level (20 items, scale 1-4, larger is more arousal)
Assessed via questionnaire Activation-Deactivation Adjective; AD ACL
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
Secondary outcomes (3)
x, y, z accelerometry in m/s²
Assessed via accelerometer in smartphone
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
GPS location in coordinates
Assessed via GPS in smartphone
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
Walking speed in m/s
Assessed via GPS in smartphone
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Jun 2025
- Study start2 Aug 2023
- Primary completion11 Oct 2023
- Study completion11 Oct 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Healthy CitizensStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University GhentThe 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 42 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Ghent
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Flanders Marine Institute
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07043205
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ONZ-2023-0316
- Acronym
- DPVW
- Status last verified
- Jan 2025
- First submitted
- 9 Jan 2025
- Last updated
- 29 Jun 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Jun 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Psychophysiology of Walking
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07043205
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- DPVW / ONZ-2023-0316
- Conditions
- Healthy Citizens
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 42 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University GhentUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Flanders Marine Institute
- Study start
- 2 Aug 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 11 Oct 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 11 Oct 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 Jun 2025 (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.
The literature suggests that natural environments, such as those on the Belgian coast, improve several psychological and physiological health parameters. In these environments, recreational activities often involve walking. However, it is still unknown how the effects of the environment and of walking together influence health. This study investigates the effects of a walk on the Belgian coast versus in the city on various psychological and physiological parameters of mental and physical health, both while walking and at rest after walking. A second set of research questions concerns the determination of the mediating roles of the physical activity performed, the other people in the environment, and environmental factors such as weather and perceived safety. This means that the investigators need to measure how these mediators differ between both environments, and to what extent these mediators have an impact on the subjects. A third set of research questions concerns the moderating roles of the individual characteristics (e.g. age, sex, SES personality, health) on the effects.
100 healthy Belgian adult subjects have to take a walk in both environments according to a within-subject cross-over design, while measurements are taken before, during, and after the walks. Before each walk there is also a walking session on a treadmill for baseline measurements, and rest periods before and during the walk to measure responses after the physical activity with the influence of the environment. The walk on the Belgian coast will take place in Ostend on the dike between the beach and the dunes, and the walk in the city will take place in Ghent center on a similar hard surface.
A lot of physiological measurements will be done to determine the activity of the nervous systems and the HPA axis. More specifically, the heart rate will be derived from the electrocardiogram (ECG) as a general measure of the activation of the body and the high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) as a measure of the change in the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system. From a blood volume pulse signal (BVP) the mean arterial Pressure (MAP) will be derived as a general measure for the activation of the body and the blood circulation. From a skin conductance signal (EDA) the skin conductance level (SCL) and skin conductance responses (SCR) will be derived as measures of the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. From a respiration signal, respiration rate and depth will be derived as measures of regulation by the respiratory center in the brain. The average tone will be derived from the electromyogram (EMG) as a measure of musculoskeletal activation. These electrophysiological measurements will be made using sensors on the body and MindMedia's medically validated Nexus-10 MKII device. The activity of the HPA axis of stress will be measured by determining the concentration of the cortisol hormone in saliva.
In addition, many questionnaires will be administered that measure the stress level, mood, psychological tension (arousal), worrying and rumination, mindfulness-related and subjective experiences of the participants.
The investigators will closely monitor the mediating role of physical activity using a smartphone that will measure accelerometry, location and walking speed. The mediating roles of the other persons in the environment, the weather, and other environmental factors (e.g. naturalness) will be retrospectively questioned via post-walk questionnaires. It is not unimportant that many characteristics of the test subjects can respond to the effect sizes. That is why the investigators also ask for a lot of data about demographics, socio-economic status, lifestyle, health, personality, and other factors for the experiment.
The hypothesis is that as a result of the physical activity, all physiological parameters of stress will increase, because physical activity affects the same physiological pathways as those of stress. The walk on the coast would increase the psychological and physiological differently than the walk in the urban environment. According to the literature, these effects should be are mediated by physical activity, other people in the vicinity, weather, and other environmental factors (e.g. perceived naturalness).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| 40' walking | Experimental | Behavioral: Coastal walk, Behavioral: Urban walk |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 45 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- speaking dutch
- 18-45 years old
- being a student or having a paid job
- being able to walk for 1 hour
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- not having a chronic mental or physical condition
- not taking antidepressant drugs
- not being pregnant
- having no uncorrected sensory impairments
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal walkA 40-minute walk with psychophysiological monitoring in Ostend (along the beach) | Behavioural | 40' walking |
| Urban walk40' walk in Ghent (urban) | Behavioural | 40' walking |
Primary outcome
Heart rate in number of beats per minute.
Time frame: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Derived from electrocardiogram
High frequency hart rate variability with unit ms²
Time frame: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Derived from electrocardiogram
Mean arterial blood pressure in unit µV
Time frame: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Derived from blood volume pulse
Skin conductance level in µV
Time frame: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Derived from skin conductance signal
Skin conductance response in muS
Time frame: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Derived from skin conductance signal
Respiration rate (breaths/minute)
Time frame: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Derived from respiration signal
Respiration depth in µV
Time frame: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Derived from respiration signal
Average muscle tone in µV
Time frame: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Derived from Electromyography
salivary cortisol concentration in nmol/l
Time frame: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).
Derived from saliva
Stress level (1 item VAS 1-10, higher values mean more stress)
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
Assessed via questionnaire
Positive mood (10 items, scale 1-5, larger is more positive mood)
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
Assessed via questionnaire Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS)
Negative mood (10 items, scale 1-5, larger is more negative mood)
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
Assessed via questionnaire Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS)
Arousal level (20 items, scale 1-4, larger is more arousal)
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
Assessed via questionnaire Activation-Deactivation Adjective; AD ACL
3 secondary outcomes
x, y, z accelerometry in m/s²
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
GPS location in coordinates
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
Walking speed in m/s
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 2 hours
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 29 Jun 2025.
- Preregistration on OSFLink provided by the sponsor.
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.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Coastal walk and Urban walk in people with Healthy Citizens, run by University Ghent at 1 site in Belgium.
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 4 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 29 Jun 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Belgium. 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?
Heart rate in number of beats per minute. (time frame: Monitored continuously. Outcome calculated for 2-minute intervals during the different stages of the experiment (i.e., baseline, during walk, during rest after walk; e.g., for two 2-minute intervals during 5-minute baseline).). The study lists 13 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 29 Jun 2025.