Clinical trial NCT04898439: GReen And Healthy Schools
Official title: The Effect of Greening the School Environment on the Health of Children
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Cognitive Function 1, Social
Cognitive Change
Emotions
Weight, Body
Pollution; Exposure
Keywords: greening of schools
biodiversity
cognition
BMI
Lead sponsor: Hasselt University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2021-05-24
Enrollment: 200
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 9
Maximum age (years): 12
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: We have 2 groups: an intervention group that includes children from school that will have more nature in its environment and a control school
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: This project aims to investigate the health effects of making schools greener and more biodiverse. We will mainly focus on cognitive effects, well-being, and BMI. The research hypothesis is that greening schools positively influences the health of children through more exercise and cleaner air.

Detailed description: Spending time in nature has been associated with improved physical and mental health and well-being. Developing nature-based health-promoting interventions such as providing more nature in schools to improve children's well-being will lead to benefits for society in our rapidly urbanizing world. Although the benefits of exposure to nature have been demonstrated, knowledge of integrating exposure to nature into public health guidelines is scarce. The latter requires an interdisciplinary approach that integrates the impact of nature-based interventions both on health and on the cost-effectiveness of interventions. Little is known about the health effect of greening and, in particular, increasing biodiversity in schools and we want to investigate further with this study.

This project, therefore, aims to investigate the health effects of greening primary schools and increasing biodiversity and will mainly focus on the effects on cognition, well-being, and BMI. For this, all children from 4th to 6th grade in the participating schools will be invited to participate in this study (Belgium). This study comprises control schools and intervention schools, the schools are examined before the greening and after the greening.

When the informed consent form is signed by the parents, they complete a questionnaire that assesses the child's diet, physical activity, and general questions. A urine sample will be taken for the determination of black carbon particles. The child will also perform computer tests measuring different aspects of "cognition". During these tests, we will also look at the eye movements that play an important role in the cognitive ability of the child. To get an idea of a possible effect on BMI, height and weight will be measured. The child fills in a welfare questionnaire and a questionnaire about the perception of nature itself.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Being in 4th, 5th, or 6th grade
* Signed informed consent form by a legal representative

Exclusion Criteria:

* No knowledge of dutch

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in cognitive function
timeFrame: At the baseline, after 6 months and through study completion, an average of 1 year
measure: Change in wellbeing
timeFrame: at the baseline, after 6 months and through study completion, an average of 1 year
measure: Change in anthropometry
timeFrame: at the baseline, after 6 months and through study completion, an average of 1 year
measure: Change in black carbon levels
timeFrame: at the baseline, after 6 months and through study completion, an average of 1 year
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Hasselt
country: Belgium
facility: Hasselt University
state: Limburg
Study officials:
affiliation: Hasselt University
name: Michelle Plusquin
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: