Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39375627›Full record

Trial reportBMC geriatrics2024

Participants' baseline characteristics and feedback of the nature-based social intervention "friends in nature" among lonely older adults in assisted living facilities in finland: a randomised controlled trial of the RECETAS EU-project.

Kaisu H Pitkala, Laura Rautiainen, Ulla L Aalto, Hannu Kautiainen, Annika Kolster, Marja-Liisa Laakkonen, Timo Partonen, Hanna-Maria Roitto, Timo E Strandberg, Nerkez Opacin and 7 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC geriatrics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05507684 (RECETAS), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05507684 naactive not recruitingnot on this map

RECETAS (Re-Imagining Environments for Connection and Engagement: Testing Actions for Social Prescribing in Natural Spaces) in Helsinki

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of HelsinkiRan2023 to 2026Enrolled316ConditionsLonelinessArmsNature-based social prescribing group intervention
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Kaisu H PitkalaDepartment of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, PO Box 20, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. kaisu.pitkala@helsinki.fi.
Laura RautiainenDepartment of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, PO Box 20, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
Ulla L AaltoUniversity of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Hannu KautiainenDepartment of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, PO Box 20, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
Annika KolsterDepartment of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, PO Box 20, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
Marja-Liisa LaakkonenDepartment of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, PO Box 20, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
Timo PartonenDepartment of Healthcare and Social Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Hanna-Maria RoittoUniversity of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Timo E StrandbergUniversity of Helsinki, and, Helsinki University Hospital , Helsinki, Finland.
Nerkez OpacinRMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
Sibylle PuntscherInstitute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT TIROL - University for Health Sciences and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria.
Uwe SiebertInstitute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT TIROL - University for Health Sciences and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria.
Laura Coll-PlanasResearch Group On Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O), Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare. Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Vic, Spain.
Ashby L SachsBarcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.
Jill S LittBarcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.
Anu H JanssonDepartment of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, PO Box 20, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
RECETAS project

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLoneliness is common among older adults in institutional settings. It leads to adverse effects on health and wellbeing, for which nature contact with peers in turn may have positive impact. However, the effects of nature engagement among older adults have not been studied in randomised controlled trials (RCT). The "Friends in Nature" (FIN) group intervention RCT for lonely older adults in Helsinki assisted living facilities (ALFs) aims to explore the effects of peer-related nature experiences on loneliness and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). In this study we aim describe the participants' baseline characteristics of the RCT, feasibility of FIN intervention and intervention participants' feedback on the FIN.

methodsLonely participants were recruited from 22 ALFs in Helsinki area, Finland, and randomised into two groups: 1) nature-based social intervention once a week for nine weeks (n = 162) and 2) usual care (n = 157). Demographics, diagnoses and medication use were retrieved from medical records, and baseline cognition, functioning, HRQoL, loneliness and psychological wellbeing were assessed. Primary trial outcomes will be participants' loneliness (De Jong Giervald Loneliness Scale) and HRQoL (15D).

resultsThe mean age of participants was 83 years, 73% were female and mean Minimental State Examination of 21 points. The participants were living with multiple co-morbidities and/or disabilities. The intervention and control groups were comparable at baseline. The adherence with intervention was moderate, with a mean attendance of 6.8 out of the nine sessions. Of the participants, 14% refused, fell ill or were deceased, and therefore, participated three sessions or less. General subjective alleviation of loneliness was achieved in 57% of the intervention participants. Of the respondents, 96% would have recommended a respective group intervention to other older adults. Intervention participants appreciated their nature excursions and experiences.

conclusionsWe have successfully randomised 319 lonely residents in assisted living facilities into a trial about the effects of nature experiences in a group-format. The feedback from participants was favourable. The trial will provide important information about possibilities of alleviating loneliness with peer-related nature-based experiences in frail residents.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT05507684. Registration 19/08/2022.

Indexed as

Assisted Living FacilitiesLonelinessQuality of LifeAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleFinlandHumansMalePsychosocial InterventionAssisted living facilityHealth-related quality of lifeLonelinessNature-based interventionRandomised controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID39375627
PMCPMC11457361

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.