Nationwide Research on the Rewilding of Kindergarten Yards (Vahvistu)

Natural Resources Institute Finland

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Atopic Dermatitis; Cognitive Change; Microbial Colonization; Nature, Human; Asthma in Children; Allergy; Respiratory Infection

Treatments: Other: Biodiversity; Other: Playground equipment

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06390878

R24023

Details and patient eligibility

About

Biodiversity is essential for nature and human well-being. Land use has reduced biodiversity in cities that is associated with altered commensal microbiota and a rising burden of immunological disorders among urban children.

The investigators will estimate how rewilding of kindergarten yards affects commensal microbiome, prevalence of allergies, asthma, atopic dermatitis and infections, cortisol levels, cognitive skills and plasma cytokine levels of children.

Our specific aims are:

To assess if rewilding diversifies health-associated skin, saliva and gut microbiota and reduces infectious diseases and atopic or allergic symptoms.

Assess whether the rewilding has positive effects on cognitive skills. Assess whether the rewilding changes cortisol and plasma cytokine levels. The investigators will recruit altogether 320 (160 per treatment) study subjects aged between 1-5 to questionnaire study (Task 2), from which 120 study subjects will be analyzed more detailed using microbiological and blood samples (Task 1).

Enrollment: 320 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 1 to 5 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Attendance in kindergarten

Exclusion criteria

• Use of antibiotics in the year before sampling

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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320 participants in 2 patient groups

Rewilding

Experimental group

Description:

The kindergarten yards are modified with natural elements to increase children's exposure to biodiversity and playground equipment are incorporated to the yards to increase children's physical activity.

Treatment:

Other: Biodiversity

Control

Experimental group

Description:

The kindergarten yards are not rewilded with natural elements and the biodiversity is low at the yards. Playground equipment are incorporated to the yards to increase children's physical activity.

Treatment:

Other: Playground equipment