Comparing Effects of Walking in Nature Versus Urban Areas on Stress and Health in Adults With Prediabetes A Randomized Crossover Study

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how walking in different outdoor environments affects psychological and physiological stress in adults with prediabetes. This randomized crossover trial compares the effects of walking in urbansuburban nature areas versus built commercial environments. The study aims to understand if one environment leads to greater improvements in anxiety, stress, mood, and physiological stress markers such as heart rate variability. Participants will walk for 150 minutes per week over six weeks in one of the two designated outdoor settings, then have a five-week break before switching to the other environment for another six weeks. Each walking session lasts 30 to 50 minutes at moderate intensity. The study includes two groups differing in the order they experience the environments, allowing participants to serve as their own controls. During the trial, participants will visit the clinic four times for assessments before and after each walking period. Psychological measures including anxiety, perceived stress, mood, and restorativeness will be collected alongside physiological markers such as heart rate variability and salivary cortisol. Participants will also monitor ambient air quality during walks. The total study duration includes two six-week walking phases separated by the washout period, with careful monitoring of health and activity throughout.

Effects of Walking in Greenspace and the Built Environment in Adults With Prediabetes: A Randomized Crossover Trial