School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 15;10(1):21993. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-78642-2.
Due to rapid urbanization, children today have fewer opportunities to interact with nature and this may result in a greater risk for developing stress and depression. Outdoor nature-related activities can enhance general well-being. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully delineated. Here we recruited 54 preschool children to participate in a 10-week structured nature-related "Play&Grow" program. Following the intervention, children were assessed for connectedness to nature and perceived stress levels using validated questionnaires. Moreover, fecal serotonin level and gut microbiota profiles were measured by ELISA and 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing, respectively. Children were significantly more connected to nature after the intervention. Their gut microbiota altered, especially by modulating the abundance of Roseburia and the fecal-serotonin level. Moreover, we also observed a reduction in the overall perceived stress, particularly in the frequency of anger among these children. This study is the first to demonstrate the impact of nature-related activities on gut microbiota, fecal serotonin and psychosocial behaviour of preschool children. However, further mechanistic studies are needed to confirm the functional role of gut microbiota in the association between connectedness to nature and improved psychosocial behavior.
由于城市化进程的加速，如今的孩子们与大自然互动的机会更少，这可能会增加他们产生压力和抑郁的风险。户外与自然相关的活动可以增强整体幸福感。然而，其潜在机制尚未完全阐明。在这里，我们招募了 54 名学龄前儿童参加为期 10 周的结构化与自然相关的“玩与成长”计划。干预后，使用经过验证的问卷评估儿童与自然的联系程度和感知压力水平。此外，通过 ELISA 和 16S rDNA 扩增子测序分别测量粪便 5-羟色胺水平和肠道微生物组谱。干预后，儿童与自然的联系更加紧密。他们的肠道微生物群发生了变化，特别是通过调节罗斯伯里亚菌的丰度和粪便 5-羟色胺水平。此外，我们还观察到这些儿童的整体感知压力，特别是愤怒的频率降低。这项研究首次证明了与自然相关的活动对学龄前儿童肠道微生物群、粪便 5-羟色胺和社会心理行为的影响。然而，需要进一步的机制研究来证实肠道微生物群在与自然的联系和改善社会心理行为之间的关联中的功能作用。
