Clinical trial NCT03304301: Effect of Sunlight Exposure and Outdoor Activities on Depression, Cognition and Quality of Life in the Elderly
Official title: Effect of Sunlight Exposure and Outdoor Activities on Improving the Depression, Cognition and Quality of Life of the Institutionalized Elderly: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Aging
Nursing Homes
Depression in Old Age
Cognitive Impairment
Quality of Life
Keywords: sunlight exposure
institutionalized elderly
depression
quality of life
cognition function
Lead sponsor: Chiayi Christian Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Cheng Kung University
First posted: 2017-10-09
Enrollment: 74
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 65
Standard ages: OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Background: The transition to long-term care facility can be a stressful and emotional event for the elderly. The evidences showed that the prevalence of depression and the cognition impairment were higher in the institutionalized elderly than the community dwelling elderly. It could affect the quality of life of the elderly and increase risk of mortality.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of outdoor activities and sunlight exposure on depression, cognitive function, and quality of life among institutionalized elderly.

Method: The design is a randomized control trial. Participants will be randomly allocated to experimental or control groups by block randomization. In the experimental group, participants will be encouraged to reduce time spent on bed and bedroom. Nurses, nurse aids or family will take participants outdoors and exposure their face, hands or arm to sunlight for 15-30 minutes a day, five days a week for three months (if the UV index is over 8 according to the forecast of Center Weather Bureau, the participants will be asked to stay inside). In the control group, the participants will receive routine care. The control group will neither be encouraged to stay outdoors nor limit the chance to exposure to sunlight.

Expected outcome: The expected benefit of the research is to improve the depression, cognitive function, and quality of life of the institutionalized elderly.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* resident in the long-term care facility for at least 6 months
* Barthel Index score is equal or over 20
* able to communicate
* life expectancy over 12 months
* conscious clear

Exclusion Criteria:

* allergy to sunlight
* diagnosed with skin cancer

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change from baseline depression at 3 months
timeFrame: baseline, three month after recruitment
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change from baseline cognitive function at 3 months
timeFrame: baseline, three month after recruitment
Other outcomes:
measure: Change from baseline quality of life at 3 months
timeFrame: baseline, three month after recruitment
Locations:
city: Chia-Yi
country: Taiwan
facility: BaoKang Long-Term Care Center
Study officials:
affiliation: Chiayi christian hospital, Taiwan, R.O.C.
name: LIN TZUCHIA, MASTER
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: