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A Study on the Effects of Forest Therapy on Sarcopenia

11 settembre 2026 aggiornato da: National Taiwan University Hospital

Purpose: The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of an 8-week Forest Based Intervention program on muscle strength, physical performance, and psychological well-being in older women with sarcopenia.

Duration: The program lasts for 8 weeks, with 2 sessions per week (16 sessions total). Each session is approximately 180 minutes.

Activities: Participants will take part in a structured program at the Caoling Shibi Forest Healing Base in Yunlin. The program includes forest trail walking, resistance training using elastic bands, stretching, and sensory activities such as aromatherapy and deep breathing.

Assessments: Researchers will evaluate physical indicators and psychological well-being before the program, immediately after, and at a 1-month follow-up.

Goal: We hope to determine if combining structured exercise with the forest environment can effectively improve the health and quality of life for older women with sarcopenia.

Panoramica dello studio

Stato

Completato

Condizioni

Intervento / Trattamento

Descrizione dettagliata

Background and Rationale: Sarcopenia is a common skeletal muscle disease in the elderly characterized by the loss of muscle mass, strength, and physical performance. While resistance training and nutrition are core management strategies, Forest Healing has been shown to reduce stress (cortisol), regulate the autonomic nervous system, and improve immune function. This study aims to validate a standardized "manualized" forest healing intervention for sarcopenia, utilizing a cross-border collaboration framework between Taiwan and South Korea.

Study Design & Environmental Monitoring: This is a single-arm, pre-post intervention study (quasi-experimental design) conducted at the Caoling Shibi Forest Healing Base (altitude 1,500-1,700m). A unique aspect of this trial is the quantification of environmental factors, including phytoncide concentrations, negative ions, and thermal comfort indices (PMV, PPD), to explore the mechanistic relationship between the forest environment and physiological adaptations.

Intervention Protocol: The standardized 180-minute sessions are designed to integrate physical conditioning with psychological relaxation. The technical protocol dictates:

Aerobic and Balance Training: Forest trail walking maintained at a Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) of 12-13.

Resistance Training: Elastic band exercises targeting upper and lower limbs (3 sets of 8-10 repetitions) at an RPE of 9-13.

Core Forest Therapy: Sensory awareness, aromatherapy, and deep breathing to promote parasympathetic activation.

Psychological Promotion: Facilitated group interactions and experience sharing to enhance social connection and intervention adherence.

Safety Protocol: To ensure participant safety in a mountainous terrain, the study has established a comprehensive three-tier medical safety mechanism. This includes on-site first aid by certified instructors, local AED medical services, and a dedicated emergency medical "green channel" established with the National Taiwan University Hospital, Yunlin Branch.

Tipo di studio

Interventistico

Iscrizione (Effettivo)

36

Fase

  • Non applicabile

Contatti e Sedi

Questa sezione fornisce i recapiti di coloro che conducono lo studio e informazioni su dove viene condotto lo studio.

Luoghi di studio

  • Taiwan
      • Yunlin County, Taiwan, 640
        • National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch

Criteri di partecipazione

I ricercatori cercano persone che corrispondano a una certa descrizione, chiamata criteri di ammissibilità. Alcuni esempi di questi criteri sono le condizioni generali di salute di una persona o trattamenti precedenti.

Criteri di ammissibilità

Età idonea allo studio

  • Adulto
  • Adulto più anziano

Accetta volontari sani

No

Descrizione

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female aged 55 years or older.
  • Meet the AWGS 2025 criteria for sarcopenia (low handgrip strength and low skeletal muscle mass index).
  • Able to walk independently or with assistive devices and safely participate in low-to-moderate intensity exercise training.
  • Willing to commit to the 8-week intervention (16 sessions total) and provide signed informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of major acute illness, hospitalization, or surgery within the past 3 months.
  • Severe cardiovascular, respiratory, or other systemic diseases that make moderate-intensity exercise unsafe.
  • Severe osteoarticular or neurological disorders that significantly impair walking or exercise safety.
  • Severe cognitive impairment that prevents understanding of study procedures or cooperation with the intervention.
  • Presence of implanted medical devices (e.g., pacemakers) that would interfere with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).
  • Regular participation in structured resistance training or high-intensity exercise within the past 3 months.

Piano di studio

Questa sezione fornisce i dettagli del piano di studio, compreso il modo in cui lo studio è progettato e ciò che lo studio sta misurando.

Come è strutturato lo studio?

Dettagli di progettazione

  • Scopo principale: Prevenzione
  • Assegnazione: N / A
  • Modello interventistico: Assegnazione di gruppo singolo
  • Mascheramento: Nessuno (etichetta aperta)

Armi e interventi

Gruppo di partecipanti / Arm
Intervento / Trattamento
Sperimentale: Forest-Based Intervention Group

Participants will undergo an 8-week structured forest healing program (2 sessions/week, 16 sessions total) at the Caoling Shibi Forest Healing Base

. Each 180-minute session, led by certified instructors, includes forest trail walking (aerobic/balance), elastic band resistance training, nature-based sensory immersion (forest therapy), and group psychological support. The intervention follows a standardized manual focused on improving muscle strength and physical function.
Comportamentale: Forest-Based Intervention Program
An 8-week structured intervention (16 sessions total, 180 min each) conducted at the Caoling Shibi Forest Healing Base. The program integrates physical exercise (forest trail walking and elastic band resistance training) with nature-based sensory immersion (aromatherapy, deep breathing, and nature awareness). The intervention follows a manualized protocol led by certified instructors, specifically designed to improve muscle strength, physical function, and psychological well-being in older women.
Altri nomi:
  • Forest Therapy

Cosa sta misurando lo studio?

Misure di risultato primarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Handgrip Strength
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.
Measured using a Smedley hand dynamometer for the dominant hand to evaluate maximum muscle strength. Handgrip strength is a key clinical indicator for sarcopenia diagnosis. Values are reported in kilograms (kg).
Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.
Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.

A standardized assessment of lower extremity function, including balance tests, gait speed tests, and five times chair stand tests.

Scale title: Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 12. Higher scores indicate better physical performance.
Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.

Misure di risultato secondarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Skeletal Muscle Mass Index (SMI)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.
Measured via Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) using the ACCUNIQ BC380. It is calculated as Appendicular Skeletal Muscle mass divided by height squared to track muscle mass changes. Values are reported in kg/m2.
Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.
Health-Related Quality of Life (SF-36)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.

Assessed using the Taiwan version of the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) to evaluate the participant's physical and mental health status.

Scale title: 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 100. Higher scores indicate better outcomes (better health-related quality of life).
Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.
Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.

The Taiwan short-form version (GDS-15) is used to evaluate changes in depressive symptoms among participants based on their feelings over the past week. The assessment consists of 15 questions.

Scale title: 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 15. Higher scores indicate worse outcomes (more severe depressive symptoms).
Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.

The Taiwan version is used to assess sleep habits and quality over the previous month, calculating a global total score.

Scale title: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 21. Higher scores indicate worse outcomes (poorer sleep quality).
Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.

Used to measure changes in emotional states following the forest healing intervention based on actual feelings over the past week. The questionnaire consists of 20 items rated on a 1 to 5 scale.

Scale title: Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). This assessment comprises two subscales.

  • For the Positive Affect subscale: Minimum value is 10, Maximum value is 50. Higher scores indicate better outcomes (higher levels of positive affect).
  • For the Negative Affect subscale: Minimum value is 10, Maximum value is 50. Higher scores indicate worse outcomes (higher levels of negative affect).
Baseline, 2 months, and 3 months.

Collaboratori e investigatori

Qui è dove troverai le persone e le organizzazioni coinvolte in questo studio.

Sponsor

National Taiwan University Hospital

Collaboratori

Chungnam National University

Investigatori

  • Investigatore principale: Kai-Chieh Chang, MD, National Taiwan University Hospital

Pubblicazioni e link utili

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Pubblicazioni generali

Studiare le date dei record

Queste date tengono traccia dell'avanzamento della registrazione dello studio e dell'invio dei risultati di sintesi a ClinicalTrials.gov. I record degli studi e i risultati riportati vengono esaminati dalla National Library of Medicine (NLM) per assicurarsi che soddisfino specifici standard di controllo della qualità prima di essere pubblicati sul sito Web pubblico.

Studia le date principali

Inizio studio (Effettivo)

13 maggio 2026

Completamento primario (Effettivo)

24 agosto 2026

Completamento dello studio (Effettivo)

24 agosto 2026

Date di iscrizione allo studio

Primo inviato

2 giugno 2026

Primo inviato che soddisfa i criteri di controllo qualità

2 giugno 2026

Primo Inserito (Effettivo)

8 giugno 2026

Aggiornamenti dei record di studio

Ultimo aggiornamento pubblicato (Effettivo)

15 settembre 2026

Ultimo aggiornamento inviato che soddisfa i criteri QC

11 settembre 2026

Ultimo verificato

1 giugno 2026

Maggiori informazioni

Termini relativi a questo studio

Parole chiave

Termini MeSH pertinenti aggiuntivi

Altri numeri di identificazione dello studio

  • 202603112RINA

Piano per i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)

Hai intenzione di condividere i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)?

INDECISO

Informazioni su farmaci e dispositivi, documenti di studio

Studia un prodotto farmaceutico regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Studia un dispositivo regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Queste informazioni sono state recuperate direttamente dal sito web clinicaltrials.gov senza alcuna modifica. In caso di richieste di modifica, rimozione o aggiornamento dei dettagli dello studio, contattare register@clinicaltrials.gov. Non appena verrà implementata una modifica su clinicaltrials.gov, questa verrà aggiornata automaticamente anche sul nostro sito web .

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