Nurtured in Nature

University of Pennsylvania

Status: Completed

Conditions: Environmental Exposure; Pregnancy Related; Postpartum Depression

Treatments: Behavioral: Nature Coach Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04146025

833693

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators pilot test a Nature Coach Intervention in a population of postpartum women, to increase the amount of time people spend outside in local nature, with the goal of preventing postpartum depression.

Full description

Postpartum depression (PPD), characterized by feelings of sadness, irritability, and fatigue following the birth of a child, occurs in 10-15% of women. PPD peaks within the first 2-3 months following delivery, but can occur anytime in the first year, representing one of the most common complications of childbearing. The consequences go beyond impaired functioning for the woman, and include harmful effects on the cognitive and emotional development of the woman's infant. Despite this, many women are undiagnosed and do not get adequate treatment.

Living near and spending time in green space is associated with a host of mental health benefits, including reduced depression and improved well-being. Research has shown that women who live near more green space have improved birth outcomes such as higher birthweight infants.

Despite the growing body of evidence linking nature with improved mental health, spending time in green space is not a standard health promoting tool to address mental illness. Behavioral economics concepts have been used successfully in promoting other preventative health behaviors such as physical activity and healthy eating.

Enrollment: 36 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years old and older
• Delivery of a living child
• Ambulatory
• Live in West or Southwest Philadelphia
• Have a smart phone
• Able to understand and respond to an oral interview in English

Exclusion criteria

• Baby in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• Mother has not been in Intensive Care Unit pre/post-delivery
• Gestational age less than 37 weeks
• Department of Human Services involvement

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

36 participants in 2 patient groups

Nature Coach Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

The Nature Coach Intervention consists of 3 components - home visit, text message follow up, and goal feedback.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Nature Coach Intervention

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

Education only