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 assisted living centers (BIWE 2), microbial biodiversity interventions are performed to increase biodiversity in urban housing units for people with autism spectrum disorder, disabled people and elderly. 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 yards of the housing units 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. The investigators will recruit approximately 36 study subjects living in assisted housing units in urban areas and aged between 18-82.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
36
Yards of the assisted living centers will be modified with berry bushes, fruit trees, perennial yard plants, meadow flowers, cultivation boxes, organic mulch materials, decaying deadwood, leaf compost and organic plant growing media with high microbial diversity.
Natural Resources Institute Finland
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Skin Gammaproteobacteria
Change in skin gammaproteobacterial diversity
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
Skin bacteria
Changes in skin bacteria are analyzed with Illumina 16s rRNA sequencing.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Saliva microbiota
Changes in saliva microbiota are analyzed with shotgun sequencing.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Saliva gene pathways
Changes in salivary gene pathways are analyzed with shotgun sequencing.
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
Decrease in perceived stress scale score during the study period that indicates lower perceived stress levels. Minimum 0, maximum 40.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale
Increase in Warwick-Edinburhg Mental Wellbeing scale score during the study period that indicates better mental well-being. Minimum 14, maximum 70.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Depression Scale
Decrease in depression scale score during the study period that indicates lower levels of depression symptoms. Minimum 0, maximum 70.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Nature Relatedness Scale
Increase in Nature Relatedness scale during the study period that indicates stronger sense of connectedness to nature. Minimum 6, maximum 30.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Changes in nature contacts
Increase in time that study subjects are in contact with nature during the study period.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
Infectious diseases
Infectious diseases are recorded with questionnaires.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year
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