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Can the Belgian Coastal Environment Improve Physical and Cognitive Health in Older Adults?

NCT06893224 · Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 60

Last updated 2026-04-14

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this interventional study is to learn if exposure to coastal environments improves the physical and cognitive health of older adults over the age of 60. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does coastal exposure affect physical stress levels in older adults? Does coastal exposure affect self-reported stress levels in older adults? Does coastal exposure affect cognitive measures, such as sustained attention, in older adults? Does coastal exposure affect sleep quality in older adults? Is there a difference between the various components of coastal environments (e.g. dykes, dunes,...) in their effect on older adults' physical stress?

This wil be a within-subject study, in which participants get exposed to both a coastal and an urban environment to compare their response to these environments.

Participants will perform a coastal and urban walk on different days, equipped with wearable sensors (namely a wrist- and chestband) to measure various parameters such as heart rate and skin conductivity. Before, during and after the walk saliva samples will be collected for cortisol analysis. Before and after the walks they will also answer some questions (on e.g. overall demographics but also self-reported mental health) and perform cognitive tests (to study e.g. sustained attention).

Conditions

  • Physiologic Monitoring
  • Self-report Questionnaire
  • Sleep Quality
  • Cognitive Function

Interventions

OTHER

Coastal exposure

This is a "real-life" exposure to the coastal environment, in which participants walk to a bench, sit there for 15 minutes, followed by a walk of approximately 30 minutes. After the 15 minute sitting period, a saliva sample is collected. During the walk, participants are equipped with wearable sensors. The walking route is indicated on a map.

OTHER

Urban exposure

This is a "real-life" exposure to the urban environment, in which participants walk to a bench, sit there for 15 minutes, followed by a walk of approximately 30 minutes. After the 15 minute sitting period, a saliva sample is collected. During the walk, participants are equipped with wearable sensors. The walking route is indicated on a map.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University Ghent

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Mirko Petrovic · University Ghent

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
60 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-09-25
Primary Completion
2026-12-31
Completion
2027-12-31

Countries

  • Belgium

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06893224 on ClinicalTrials.gov