Immune System Diseases, Microbial Colonization, Nature, Human, Well-Being, Psychological
Conditions
Keywords
Commensal microbiome, Salivary cytokines, Planetary health, Well-being
Brief 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 well-being (BIWE), microbial biodiversity interventions are performed to increase biodiversity in urban built areas. 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 urban private yards 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, such as Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWS), Depression Scale (DEPS) and Nature Relatedness Scale (NR6). The investigators will recruit approximately 42 (21 study subjects per treatment) subjects living in a detached house or terraced house in urban areas and aged between 18-72. The medical exclusion criteria include immunosuppressive medications, immune deficiencies, a disease affecting immune response (e.g., colitis ulcerosa, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, diabetes), cancer diagnosis within the last year or on-going cancer treatment. Other exclusion criteria include incompetency and living outside city area.
Interventions
OTHERRewilding
Private yards of the intervention study subjects will be modified with vegetation and deadwood.
Sponsors
Tampere University
Natural Resources Institute Finland
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Masking description
The research subjects were not randomized or masked to the intervention and control group, because the control group needs volunteers who have no intention of following the yard management instructions advised to the intervention group.
Intervention model description
Intervention-control study in which intervention study subjects private yards are rewilded and control receives no treatment.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 72 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Living in a detached or terraced house in urban area
Exclusion criteria
* Immunosuppressive medications * Immune deficiencies * a disease affecting immune response (e.g., colitis ulcerosa, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, diabetes) * cancer diagnosis within the last year or on-going cancer treatment * Incompetency * Living outside city area.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Skin Gammaproteobacteria | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | Difference on skin gammaproteobacterial diversity between rewilding and control group |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Difference in diversity (Alpha and beta diversity) of skin, saliva and stool microbiota | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | It will be analyzed if microbial communities are different between treatments |
| Difference in observed species richness of skin, saliva and stool microbiota | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | It will be analyzed if microbial communities are different between treatments |
| Difference in taxonomies of skin, saliva and stool microbiota | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | It will be analyzed if microbial communities are different between treatments |
| Difference in microbial gene pathways of saliva and stool microbiota | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | Will be analyzed with shotgun sequencing if gene pathways are different between treatments |
| Cortisol levels | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | Cortisol levels measured from hair samples |
| Perceived Stress Scale | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | Lower score on a perceived stress scale among intervention treatment compared to control that indicates lower perceived stress levels among intervention treatment. Minimum 0, maximum 40. |
| Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | Higher score on a Warwick-Edinburhg Mental Wellbeing scale among intervention treatment compared to control that indicates better mental well-being among intervention treatment. Minimum 14, maximum 70. |
| Depression Scale | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | Lower score on a Depression scale among intervention treatment compared to control that indicates lower levels of depression symptoms among intervention treatment. Minimum 0, maximum 60. |
| Nature Relatedness Scale | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | Higher score on a Nature Relatedness scale among intervention treatment compared to control that indicates stronger sense of connectedness to nature among intervention treatment. Minimum 6, maximum 30. |
| Metabolites in urine | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | Metabolites of harmful substances are measured from the urine sample. |
| Salivary cytokines | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | Interleukin-6 and -10 measured from saliva |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Associations between environmental factors and microbial measurements, salivary cytokine levels, hair cortisol levels, perceived well-being | Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year | associations between environmental factors (vegetation, deadwood, and polypore richness, land cover categories and other yard characteristics), yard management practices, activities at the yard, salivary cytokine levels and bacterial measurements (diversity, and taxonomic and functional features). |
Countries
Finland
Outcome results
None listed