Do Terpenes Play a Role in the Stress-reducing Effects of a Forest Bathing Intervention?
Summary
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Changes in the HF (ms^2) Component of HRV |
6.65; 6.48 | 0.914 |
| PRIMARY Baseline HF (ms^2) Component of HRV |
6.48; 6.34 | — |
| SECONDARY Blood Pressure (Diastolic in mmHg) |
75.4; 73.2 | .554 |
| SECONDARY Beats Per Minute (BPM) |
66.3; 66.6 | — |
| SECONDARY Skin Conductance (μS) |
3.58; 3.84 | — |
| SECONDARY Self-reported Positive Affect |
12.0; 12.2 | — |
| SECONDARY Self-reported Stress |
1.44; 1.57 | — |
| SECONDARY Self-reported Negative Affect |
5.81; 5.92 | — |
| SECONDARY Levels of CRP |
9.93; 13.6 | — |
| SECONDARY Levels of Cortisol in Serum (ng/mL) |
117; 124 | — |
| SECONDARY Blood Pressure (Systolic in mmHg) |
119; 117 | — |
| SECONDARY Level of TNF-alpha |
4.03; 3.72 | — |
| SECONDARY Levels of Il-6 |
0.585; 0.591 | — |
| SECONDARY Baseline Blood Pressure (Diastolic in mmHg) |
67.8; 66.1 | — |
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- 18 years and older
- Non-smoker
- Physically capable of walking for approximately 15-20 min from the study vehicle to the clinic and experimental locations.
Exclusion Criteria
- Pregnancy
- Current or prior diagnosis of neurologic, hypertensive, psychiatric, respiratory disorder, or anosmia/hyposmia
- Some types of medication.
- Olfactory sensitivity threshold (assessed via UPSIT® test kit (Sensonics International, Haddon Heights, NJ)
At enrollment, participants will complete a baseline survey on demographics, personality traits, and regular nature contact and perceptions. Study staff will also use the clinically-validated UPSIT® test kit (Sensonics International, Haddon Heights, NJ) to evaluate olfactory sensitivity and identify/exclude participants with undiagnosed smell loss.
Study staff will work with participants to schedule their forest bathing sessions and review instructions on how to prepare (e.g., by avoiding alcohol, marijuana, and certain foods, drinks, and household cleaning products with high terpene concentrations 24 hrs before their session).
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05316597). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication. Informational only — not medical advice.