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.
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.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
30
Private yards of the intervention study subjects will be modified with vegetation and deadwood.
Natural Resources Institute Finland
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Skin Gammaproteobacteria
Difference on skin gammaproteobacterial diversity between rewilding and control group
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Salivary cytokines
Interleukin-6 and -10 measured from saliva
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Difference in diversity (Alpha and beta diversity) of skin, saliva and stool microbiota
It will be analyzed if microbial communities are different between treatments
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Difference in observed species richness of skin, saliva and stool microbiota
It will be analyzed if microbial communities are different between treatments
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Difference in taxonomies of skin, saliva and stool microbiota
It will be analyzed if microbial communities are different between treatments
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Difference in microbial gene pathways of saliva and stool microbiota
Will be analyzed with shotgun sequencing if gene pathways are different between treatments
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Cortisol levels
Cortisol levels measured from hair samples
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Perceived Stress Scale
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.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale
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.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Depression Scale
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.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Nature Relatedness Scale
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.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Metabolites in urine
Metabolites of harmful substances are measured from the urine sample.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
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