Examining Anti-Racist Healing in Nature to Protect Telomeres of Transitional Age BIPOC for Health Equity

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of a nature-based intervention designed to reduce chronic stress in four racial and ethnic groups: Black, Latinx, Pilipinx, and Pacific Islander communities. This study aims to address health disparities by examining how stress reduction through nature activities may impact biological and behavioral outcomes, such as telomere length and mood. The study aligns with the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework to understand factors affecting health disparities at multiple social levels. The intervention has two phases: first, participants engage in community nature walks in a pristine redwood forest for six months. This is followed by three months of chosen nature activities with family or friends. All participants eventually receive the intervention, with some initially placed in a waitlist control group before beginning the treatment. The study is behavioral and non-randomized, focusing on natural, community-involved activities. Participants will be involved for a total of nine months, during which biological samples and behavioral assessments will be collected at baseline, during the intervention, immediately after, and three months post-intervention. Researchers will measure relative telomere length as the primary outcome, alongside secondary outcomes such as hair cortisol levels, self-reported stress, and positive mood. The study includes monitoring of participant adherence and the impact of nature activities on stress and health over time.

Biological and Behavioral Outcomes of Community Nature Walks