2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
The physiological effects of nature childcare on stress in young children
| Project/Area Number |
21K02331
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 09030:Childhood and nursery/pre-school education-related
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| Research Institution | Sendai University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
相澤 恵美子 仙台白百合女子大学, 人間学部, 准教授 (00639049)
青木 真理 福島大学, 人間発達文化学類附属学校臨床支援センター, 教授 (50263877)
柴田 卓 郡山女子大学短期大学部, その他部局等, 准教授 (60762218)
伊藤 哲章 宮城学院女子大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (50735256)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | 自然保育 / 幼少期ストレス / 腸内細菌叢 / 消化器症状 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common and associated with stress response and gut microbiota. Because GI symptoms greatly affect social life in young children, their reduction is therefore important for the physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to verify the hypothesis that a rich natural environment (once a week for one month) is beneficially effective on GI symptoms, stress response, gut microbiota, and child's behavior.
Before the intervention, there were no significant differences in factors of the primary and secondary endpoints between nature group and regular group. After the intervention, nature group showed significantly less GI score, abdominal pain, constipation, salivary cortisol and salivary amylase and more Shannon index than regular group (all p < 0.05). Spending free and abundant time in nature during early childhood could help maintain digestive system homeostasis, increase gut microbiota diversity, and reduce cortisol levels.
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| Free Research Field |
保育学
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
本研究では、自然保育群の介入後の消化器症状が通常保育群よりも有意に低くなり、更に唾液コルチゾール値の低下、腸内細菌多様性増加という結果が得られた。この結果から、自然保育が幼少期のストレス症状減少に関連する可能性が示された。幼少期に自然の中で伸び伸びと豊かに過ごすことが消化器の恒常性維持に重要であると考えられる。今後さらに自然保育が幼少期ストレスの軽減に及ぼす影響を生理学的な手法を用いて検証することで、子どものストレス関連疾患の早期治療および予防プログラムの開発に結びつけることが期待される。
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